Morning Star Staff
The Vernon Canadians cut down their strikeouts and hit the ball better in going 2-for-4 in B.C. Midget AAA Baseball League home play.
Vernon lost 10-3 before winning 5-2 in a twinbill with the Victoria Selects (4-4) Saturday at Marshall Field.
Ty Wellman got the Game 1 start, going 4 1/3 innings while fanning two and allowing seven earned runs. Jake O’Quinn mopped up, striking out two and giving up one earned run.
Dylan Eckland went 2-for-3 with two singles, while Noah Allyene was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Cory Anderson was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base, while Landon Currie was 1-for-3 with an RBI-double.
Currie went 4 1/3 innings for the Game 2 win, striking out a pair and getting dinged for one earned run. Eckland got the next five outs and Caden Doyle pitched the seventh
Tyler Liefke was 1-for-3 with a stolen base and one run, while Ethan Huizinga was 1-for-3 with one swiped base and one run. Eckland and Brett Lambert each rapped singles.
In Sunday action, the Canadians bounced the Burnaby Braves 5-3 before falling 10-5.
Cory Anderson was stellar pitching a complete-game one-hitter for the win. Anderson mowed down three batters and gave up two earned runs.
Doyle went 1-for-2 with one ribbie and 2 stolen bases, while Wellman went 2-for-3 with a double, single and a run.
Third-place Burnaby (6-3) rang up nine runs in the first three innings, knocking starter Kyle Ciurka off the hill. Ciurka allowed four earned runs.
Jarod Leroux came in relief and pitched the final four innings, allowing one run and striking out four. Currie went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one RBI and two runs. Caden Doyle drove in two runs on two hits and swiped five bases, while Allyene was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base.
“Unfortunately we have that one inning where the boys get complacent on defence and we are allowing the opposition to score lots of runs,” said Vernon coach Ken Liefke.
“Our record is four wins and three losses and you can see that we are ready to explode and take control of this league. We haven’t played one team that I felt is better than us. When we get rid of that one bad inning, I feel there is no one in this league that can stop us.”
The C’s visit the Kelowna Cubs tonight (6:30) at Elks Stadium.
In Bantam AA play, the Vernon Canadians swept the West Kelowna Diamondbacks for the second straight weekend, winning 14-2 and 10-9 Saturday at Marshall.
Liam Alstad and Sapien Joe handled the hill in the opener with Alstad adding a single, three steals and two runs. Joe mowed down six batters in two innings and crossed the dish three times.
Ryan Vandesande drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, while Hayden Lewis and Joe also hit doubles. Ryan Gamage was 2-for-2 with three ribbies and two walks. Colby Geiger swiped three bases.
Game 2 saw lots of hits by Vernon, but it was also a test of hitting a smaller strike zone for the Canadian pitchers. However, Ben Fortems took the ball in the fourth inning to ensure victory. He struck out 5 batters in 2 1/3 innings of work and didn’t allow any hits or runs. He was also 2 for 3 in the game with 3 RBIs and 2 runs.
Nolan Stein, Hutchinson and Dalton Stenberg also produced clutch hits as the C’s erased a 9-7 deficit in the bottom of six.
Hansen, who had three runs, led the inning off with a triple. Nakoda Parker was a beast at the plate going 4-for-4 with three singles and a triple. He hit Hansen home for one of his three RBI. Fortems hit Parker home with his third ribbie and then stole home for the winning run on a passed ball.