One loss, one win and plenty of good times
The Sherbrooke Expos started their 2021 season with a loss against the Big Bill in Coaticook, Friday night. The locals got the better of the Expos with a score of 15-8.
Led by Bruno Laurin, the Expos had the opportunity to bounce back on Sunday, at the Amédée-roy Stadium, by winning 16-12 against the Acton Vale Beavers in front of 462 spectators.
Coaticook struck early
In the bottom of the second inning, the Big Bill sent no less than 12 batters to the plate taking advantage of the generosity of Expos starter Claudio Ortiz.
Ortiz allowed four walks and two hits. Julien Castagnier-charlebois and Maxime Beaudoin also hit singles in the seven-run streak. Beaudoin produced a second run in the bottom of the fourth inning with another single.
Sherbrooke got on the scoreboard in the middle of the next inning when Jonathan Raymond scored on Benoit Emond’s ground ball. During their turn at bat, the visitors scored four times, thanks to Christophe Jutras’ two-run single.
The home team responded in the sixth inning by scoring seven more runs. Anthony Quirion, who was making his Big Bill debut, hit a tworun triple in that inning. Quirion also made a number of nice plays on defence, setting the tone for his team.
The Expos finished with three runs in the top of the seventh inning with a solo home run by Yunior Paumier Oliva, and a two-run single by Benoit Émond.
Sherbrooke wins Vale
against Acton
The Expos and the Acton Vale Beavers played cat and mouse in extreme heat on the local opening day at Amédéeroy Stadium on Sunday.
The 462 spectators enjoyed the show and the fact that their favourites refused to give up.
The home team hit no less than 15 hits, including home runs by Kyle Hazel (three-run home run in the fourth inning) and Nelson Ercia JR (solo homer in the sixth inning). The latter and newcomer Yunior Paumier each got three hits.
Emmanuel Forcier’s three-run home run in the fifth inning for the visitors, who had only six hits despite scoring 12 runs.
The win went to reliever Samuel Brousseau and the loss to Alexandre Brunelle.
A well-deserved tribute to Steve Gosselin
Before the game, personalities from all walks of life joined the two teams, representatives from the Quebec Major Baseball League and close friends and family for a well-deserved tribute to Steve Gosselin.
The family was moved to see how much everyone loved Steve. Geneviève Hébert, MNA for Saint-françois, read a statement prepared last May and presented the text to the Gosselin family. A few minutes into the game, however, paramedics were called to take Steve’s father to the hospital. The family later said he was in stable condition and that further tests would be done on Monday.the Quebec Major League Baseball joined the team in wishing Claude Gosselin a speedy recovery.
Upcoming local games
Friday at 8 p.m. vs. Coaticook Saturday at 7 p.m. vs. Saint-jean-surrichelieu
The Expos’ local games are authorized by the City of Sherbrooke under the condition of respecting the rules. The Amédée-roy stadium has been divided into two sections of 250 people and spectators are asked to respect the rows of seats that are off limits.
Physical distancing, wearing of masks in the interior portion of the stadium and the respect of sanitary measures are required by the authorities of the City of Sherbrooke to allow the presentation of Expos games.