It was obvious Friday that the level of play ramped up as the W-C-B-L post-season started with the Saskatoon Berries rallying for a 7-3 victory over the Regina Red Sox at Cairns Field.

Pitchers dominated the first seven innings and it wasn’t until the bottom of the eighth that Saskatoon secured their first lead and held it. Seventeen-year-old catcher Aiden Kilshaw had the big hit of that frame – and of the game – launching a three-run home run to right field to finish off the game’s scoring. Moments before that, Saskatoon took their first lead when Regina relief pitcher David Gordon balked with the bases loaded – scoring Gael Salinas from third base. Berries pitchers combined to strike out 15 Red Sox hitters – 10 over six innings by starter Zachary Landreville and five more over the final three innings by Wesley Shackelford, who was credited with the pitching victory. Landreville and Shackelford also combined to limit Regina to just four hits. Red Sox ace Kaegan Baker scattered nine hits over six-and-a-third innings, leaving after throwing 93 pitches and a 3-2 lead. But, relievers Daniel Crabtree and David Gordon couldn’t bail him out. A member of Canada’s Junior National team this past winter, Swift Current product Kilshaw ended up scoring twice and added a double to his three-run blast while centre fielder Nash Nichols scored twice and rapped out a pair doubles. The result was the first time in two series meetings between Saskatoon and the Red Sox that the home team had won a game. The Berries take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three East Division semi-final into Game 2 Saturday night in Regina. Another Saskatoon win would be the first time that the Berries have won a best-of-three W-C-B-L playoff series in the minimum two games in their three-year franchise history. Should the Red Sox win Saturday, Game 3 will be played Sunday night back at Cairns Field at 7 o’clock. Following are media scrum comments from head coach Joe Carnahan and Kilshaw plus Les Lazaruk’s conversation with Shackelford…..