BIG FIFTH LEADS TO WIN
Islanders defeat Fisher Cats 5-1 in NBSBL action Tuesday in Charlottetown
Four runs in any inning is a good thing and even better if it secures a win.
The Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders did just that with a four-spot against the Moncton Fisher Cats in the fifth inning and, with the help of Brody McDonald’s completegame, one-hitter, notched a 5-1 victory on home turf at Memorial Field.
Charlottetown nabbed its eighth win versus 16 losses in the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League, while Moncton fell to 12-11.
Isles catcher Grant Grady collected a second RBI single in the fifth on Moncton starter Sam Lund and added a stolen base, while Jeremy MacKinnon knocked out an RBI triple (proving to be the winning run) in the frame and later scored.
For Grady, whose first RBI came in the first inning, said the big stanza was more a matter of patience than a tiring opposing pitcher.
“(Lund) was still throwing well. We just had the strategy to not do to much, move the runners along and not worry about getting two or three runs with one hit,” said Grady. “Brody McDonald pitched extremely well and everybody was hitting the ball.”
Charlottetown took a 1-0 edge after the first on three hits and Grady’s RBI, then Lund settled and mowed through the Isles lineup for four strikeouts, including three in the third frame.
Lund helped his own cause with an RBI single in the fifth and tied the game 1-1, but that was as close as Moncton could get as McDonald threw consecutive three-up, three-down innings in the sixth and seventh.
Lund, who tossed five Ks and walked three over five innings, said his stuff seemed good but the Isles bat were better.
“I thought I made some good pitches, but they just hit the ball in spots we weren’t. Give it to them, they hit the ball well,” said Lund. “It’s good we’re right back at it (Wednesday). It’s a new game, a new day. Try and forget about it a move on.”
Lund fell to 4-3, while McDonald (1-4-1) strikeout five, walked two and earned his first win of the season. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate.
Other RBIs went to Jordan Duffy and Spencer Montgomery. Taylor Larkin’s lone hit was a triple in the second inning.
Moncton hosts the Chatham Ironmen on Wednesday. The Islanders travel to Chatham for a game Thursday (7:30 p.m.)