By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Look hard enough and all you can see is the word ‘out’ in the last name of Prospects Academy LHP Taran Oulton.

And that’s mostly what the East Cobb Astros, out of Marietta, Ga. sat facing the St. Albert, Alta.-based Prospects Academy. Oulton (Nanton, Alta.) was dominant earning the complete game, 7-0 victory.  He gave up just three hits, walked two, and struck out eight.  

The offense was led by Tauren Langley (Edmonton, Alta.) who was 2-for-2 with a home run, double and RBI.  Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) was 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs.

The Prospects opened their Atlanta trip with a convincing 9-4 win over East Cobb. The Astros have won 14 of the past 16 national championships, and the Prospects victory was the first in program history against the legendary club.  

Third year Prospect Connor Burns (St. Albert, Alta.) went the distance earning the complete game victory. He gave up four runs on three hits, two walks, while striking out six. Matt Quartel (St. Albert, Alta.) led the way offensively going 2-for 4 with a double and 2 RBIs.  Owen Bessette (Sherwood Park, Alta.) was 2-4 with a solo homer, while Aidan Huggns (Edmonton, Alta.) was 2-for-4 with a double.  Sabrowski knocked in a pair of runs.

The Prospects beat the East Cobb Dodgers 11-1 in the opener of the North Atlanta Open going out in front 5-0. Luke Roberts (Edmonton, Alta.) dominated on the mound, earning a complete game victory, allowing three hits, zero walks, while fanning five.  Offensively, Quartel who was 2-for-2 with a triple and two RBIs, while Jacob Melville (Spruce Grove, Alta.) doubled and knocked in two runs.

The Prospects rolled over Team Wilson with a 15-6 victory ni Game 2. Bessette got the win out of the bullpen throwing four scoreless, giving up one hit while striking out three.  The Academy had 14 hits as Anthony Owen (St. Albert, Alta.) led the way offensively going 3-for-3, a home run shy of the cycle, with five RBIs. Jake Fischer (Lacombe, Alta.), Quartel, Bessette, Burns, and Melville all had multi-hit games. The Prospects finished up 2-0 in round robin play.

The Prospects lost in the playoff round to the East Cobb Astros 7-1.  The game was closer than the score indicated, as it was 4-1 until the seventh inning and the Academy stranded a number of runners.

Huggins went 6 1/3 innings in his start giving up six runs -- three earned -- on 10 hits, while walking two and striking out 5. Sabrowski was 1-3 with an RBI.

The loss ended the Prospects season as they compiled a 15-12 record this spring (12-3 against high school competition).