Royals crowned champs

Nova Scotia uses big inning for win over P.E.I. in Craswell, MacLean, Stepple title game

The East Coast Royals scored seven runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth inning and downed the P.E.I. Canada Games team 11-7 in the championship game of the recent Tanner Craswell, Mitch MacLean, Tabitha Stepple memorial baseball tournament in Charlottetown.

P.E.I. led the Nova Scotia team 7-4 going into the inning.

Brett Hunt, in relief of starter Tiernan MacDonald and Charly Lemarquand, earned the pitching win while Jack Gallant collected the save.

Joe McKegney led the Royals at the plate with a 3-for-4 day, including a whacking a triple, scoring twice and driving in three runs.

Jack Volpe and Kyle Armsworthy each picked up two hits.

Team P.E.I.’s Logan MacDougall took the loss with relief from Noah Duckworth and Dylan Cameron.

Chandler Laporte provided P.E.I.’s big bat, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI, while catcher Colin Gaudette (1-3, walk) chipped in a run.

The Royals defeated the P.E.I. Juniors 8-3 in the semifinal, keyed by a four-run fifth inning, which gave East Coast at 6-3 edge it never relinquished.

Jack Gallant got the win, MacDonald the save. McKegney provided offence going 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.

For the Juniors, Porter Smith took the pitching loss with relief from Brett Hicken.

Brandon Watts (2-3)led the offence, while Curtis MacGregor and Ryne MacIsaac each went 2-for-4.

Rain forced an adjusted schedule so only one semifinal game was played.

Team P.E.I. Canada Games advanced to the final by finishing first out of three teams in its round robin pool.