‘ We’re fortunate to come away with one game’
Sooners drops two of three games to Bearcats
The Sydney Sooners struggled defensively in a 10-6 loss to the Truro Bearcats in Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League play on Sunday.
The league-leading Sooners (15-8) dropped two of three games against the fourth-place Bearcats (9-9). They also suffered a 14-2 loss and posted a 76 victory on Saturday.
“We’re fortunate to come away with one game,” said Sooners bench boss Jim (Rico) McEachern. “We won the second one 7-6 and had to work hard to get that. I said going in that Truro is one of the better hitting teams in the league, especially in the first game they had five home runs and set the tone for the weekend.
“(Sunday) we fell behind early and chased all day trying to catch-up and it wasn’t enough. We have to pull together all three aspects of our game right now.”
The Bearcats scored five runs in the fourth in an inning that included three Sydney errors to take a 10-2 lead. The Sooners fought back with a run in the fifth and three more in the seventh, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Cory Christie led the offence with a double and three singles, while Jeff MacKinnon and Chris Farrow had a double and a single apiece. Anthony Iannetti shouldered the loss on the mound, and was replaced on the hill by Kenny Long in the second inning.
Darcy Murphy, Mike Tobin and Guy Pellerine had two singles each for Truro. Johnny Chapman pitched the win, with relief from Craig Higgins in the seventh.
In the series opener on Saturday, Pellerine had a hot bat for the Bearcats launching two home runs and adding a single to drive in six runs in their 14-2 rout in seven innings. Chapman and Murphy each had a homer and two singles, while Dan Bates hit a home run as well. Eight Truro batters crossed the plate in the sixth.
For Sydney, Josh Forrest recorded two singles while Sean Ferguson had a hit.
On the mound, Logan Aker took the loss after entering the game in the fifth inning. Nate Brewer got the start and was relieved by Justin Brewer in the fourth. Pellerine went the distance in the win.
In the second half of the doubleheader, the Sooners held off a comeback attempt by the Bearcats for a 7-6 win. Truro scored runs in the seventh and ninth to threaten, but it was as close as they would get.
Justin Brewer posted the win, while Jeff Chisholm took the loss.
Christie had three singles and drove in two runs for Sydney. Matt Denney, MacKinnon and Farrow had a double and a single apiece, while Ferguson added a pair of hits.
Pellerine swatted a double and a single for Truro. Tobin, Murphy, Chapman, Matt Mingo and Adam Lombard added two singles each.
The Sooners have an off weekend before they host the Truro Bearcats Aug. 7-8 at the Susan McEachern Memorial Ball Park in Sydney.