Royals take two over Braves

Albions split with Bearcats in weekend play

The Pictou County MacLeod Lorway Intermediate Royals brought their season record back to .500 over the weekend with a doubleheader sweep over the Kennetcook Braves in Noel Road.

Pitcher Steven Conway took the win in Game 1of the Nova Scotia Intermediate Baseball League twin bill, throwing four solid innings, where he allowed two runs on one hit with three strikeouts. Cole Heighton came in on relief and tossed three shutout innings, scattering three hits and earning the save in a 6-2 win.

Tim MacKinnon led the offence going 3 for 3 at the plate with an inside-the-park homer in generating two RBI, Joel MacLean drove in two runs and had two hits, while Matt MacLean, Jesse Hubley, Layne Conway and Lukas MacDonald all had base hits.

The second game saw Josh Fushtie take the mound to throw another complete game gem, in a 4-1 final. Fushtie allowed only a single run on four hits and fanned two batters in seven dominant innings.

MacKinnon led the way at the plate again, going 2 for 3 with a run scored. Ryan Camp also provided a solid outing at the plate with two huts and an RBI, while Conway, Riley Bennett and Dylan MacKay all had hits.

The Royals used the weekend to return to .500 baseball on the season (4-4) after a disappointing weekend in Shelburne last week, dropping both sides of a doubleheader to the seasoned Schooners.

The Royals will try and move up the standings this week in the NSIBL when they take on the Hantsport Shamrocks at the Albion Ball Field in Stellarton, with a doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m.

The other local entry in the NSIBL, the Pictou County Albions, have a 2-6 record on the season after splitting two games with the Truro Bearcats on the weekend, as both games ended up with 8-1 final scores.