Canterbury baseball denied fourth straight state title in championship loss

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Credit: WINK News.

Only one thing was guaranteed to a local high school baseball team this weekend: It would be the final game in a Canterbury uniform for the seniors who were three-time defending state champions. That meant they didn’t know what it was like to lose the last game of the season.

But after 9 innings, Canterbury Cougars baseball team was defeated 3-1 Saturday night, being denied a fourth consecutive state title.

“We knew from day one that we had the talent on our ball club to make a fourth run,” coach said. “It’s unbelievable. I mean…the fact that we’re here again, it’s almost history and you would have never thought.”

Had the cougars ended the night victorious, it would have made history for high school baseball in Lee County.

Coach Turco and a few seniors were understandably emotional afterward and a little introspective as well.

“It hadn’t sunk in yet, but maybe tomorrow it will sink in that we had a chance to make history,” Turco said. “As far as our guys, man I’m so proud of them.

Camillo Lilleslatten was injured for the championship game. He took a baseball to the ribs in Friday’s game. The shot caused internal bleeding, but he was determined to be in the dugout for the game.

“How can you not be upset? Lilleslatten said. “I’m more proud of the fact that we got here, and there’s a lot more to be proud of than there is to not be.”

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