Sydney Sooners off to perfect start
Battle poor weather on the road for three-game sweep of Truro
Despite some less-thanideal weather, the Sydney Sooners got the season off to the perfect start.
The Sooners went 3-0 on the road with a three-game sweep of the Truro Bearcats this weekend. The Sooners were set to start the season off with a double-header Saturday, but rain delayed the opening game until Saturday evening, with the final two games moved to Sunday.
“Any time you sweep you just have to be happy,” said Sooners head coach Jim (Rico) McEachern. “That’s not an easy thing to do in this league, I’ll tell you, so we’re happy. It’s a good jump for us.”
The Sooners needed extra innings to complete the sweep Sunday evening with new addition Mike Tobin scoring the winning run in the 8-7 win. Tobin started the 10th inning off with a single, then Sooners got consecutive base hits from Phil Brown and Justin Brewer before Josh Forrest drove Tobin — who also had a double, two singles, an RBI and a stolen base — home for the winning run.
Brewer also added a double and scored a run for the Sooners, who were paced by Jordan Shepherd’s three-run home run and a double, while Corey Christie (a double, single and RBI) Chris Farrow (two singles, three runs and two stolen bases) and Kenny Long (two singles, two runs and an RBI) added to Sydney’s offence.
Riley O’Rourke, who came in in the fourth inning for starter Mike MacGillivray, picked up the win while Tyler Smith was tagged with the loss for Truro.
Earlier Sunday, the offence was firing on all cylinders as the Sooners rode a six-run fourth inning and three-run eighth inning to an 11-3 win.
Christie with three RBI and Shepherd with two RBI, led the Sooners hitters, with Tobin, who scored a pair of runs and stole two bases, was on base five times and Forrest crossed home plate twice after reaching base six times. Starting pitcher Justin Brewer picked up the win while Jamie MacLean took the loss for the Bearcats.
Long was the hero in the season-opener Saturday, scoring the winning run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Shepherd and also picking up the win after relieving starter Sheldon MacDonald in the sixth. Long ended the game with two runs on two singles singles, Shepherd had two RBI and Christie and Farrow each had an RBI for the Sooners.
Jordan Johnson took the loss for the Bearcats
The Sooners have next weekend off before they hit the road to take on the Halifax Pelham Molson Canadians on June 9 and June 10. Their forst home game is June 16 when they host Truro for a twogame homestand at Susan MacEachern Memorial Ball Park.