Sooners ride strong pitching to series sweep over Wildcats
The Sydney Sooners won both games of a Saturday doubleheader to sweep a threegame weekend series against the Kentville Wildcats.
The three wins improve the league-leading Sooners record to 10- 4 and gives the Sydneybased team some breathing space over second-place Dartmouth Moosehead Dry ( 7- 4).
On Saturday, Sooners manager Jim ( Rico) McEachern handed the ball to 19-year-old Logan Aker who combined with fellow youngster Riley O’Rourke to limit the Wildcats to just seven hits in Sydney’s 5- 3 win at Memorial Park in Kentville.
With the Sooners just having put up two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5- 3, Aker worked into the bottom half of the inning before being relieved by O’Rourke who shut down the Wildcats ( 2- 11) the rest of the game.
Jordan Shepherd paced the Sooners’ attack with a single, a home run and two RBI, while Matt Denney added a single, a double and two RBI and Josh Forrest chipped in with a single and a triple.
Sean Ferguson handled catching duties in the first game of the twinbill.
Reliever David McIntyre was tagged with the loss after taking over from starter Codey Shrider in the eighth.
McIntyre also contributed a single and two RBI to the Kentville attack.
In the second game, An- thony Iannetti combined with O’Rourke on a three- hit shutout as the Sooners won 40. Iannetti worked into the seventh inning and was credited with the win, while O’Rourke picked up his second save of the afternoon.
Denney, who was behind the plate for the contest, smashed two doubles, while Shepherd had two singles, Forrest had a double and an RBI, Justin Brewer had a single and an RBI and Robbie Biron added two singles.
Alex Ostrov pitched the entire game for the Wildcats, surrendering 12 hits. The three Kentville hits were all singles.
The Sooners won Friday’s match by a score of 5- 3 with lefty Nate Brewer picking up the win.
The Sooners are back in action next Friday when they host the Halifax Pelham Molson Canadians ( 6- 7) in the opening match of a threegame weekend series at Sydney’s Susan McEachern Memorial Ball Park.
Friday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m., while the Saturday doubleheader game starts at 12 noon and 3 p.m.