Bantam Knights off to 2-0 start
Two games into the B.C. Amateur Baseball Association bantam double-A provincial championship in Burnaby, the LTN Contracting Knights are cooking with gas.
They hammered Triangle of Victoria 14-1 on Wednesday and the shelling continued Thursday when the Knights rode Noah Lank’s no-hit pitching on the way to a 11-0 triumph over the Vancouver Mounties. Both games ended after the fifth inning as mercyrule decisions.
“We couldn’t ask for a better start than what we had, a couple of favourable wins,” said Knights assistant coach Justin Fillion.
“We only gave up one run in the first inning (Wednesday). The boys are making it tough on us coaches on who to put in the lineup for the next game, everybody’s chipping in. The bats are being really loud for us and hopefully it can carry on all weekend so we can hopefully take this thing home.”
In the Vancouver game, Knights shortstop Preston Weightman went 3-for-3, including a home run, and drove in four runs, while first baseman Grady Goyer had two hits in two plate appearances, batting two more runs in. Two walked batters in the third inning were all that prevented Lank from a perfect game.
“We just have a lot of depth on this team,” said Fillion. We have a lot of (pitching) arms and a lot of loud bats and I think that’s what’s separating us from some of the other teams. We can put any guy in any situation and they have a good chance of being successful. That’s why we had so much success the last two games.”
Logan Dreher has been a tough out and went a combined 5-for-6 in the two games.
Jacob Ross started the game against Triangle. He allowed just one hit in four complete innings and had six strikeouts. Zach Fillion homered in that game and Luka Kim had three RBIs.
Prince George has two games today, starting with a morning game against the Cloverdale Spurs, followed by a 3 p.m. game against the Burnaby Braves. Both are top-five teams in their respective Lower Mainland double-A leagues.
The winner of the Burnaby (West) tournament takes on the winner of the East tournament in Ladner in a winner-takeall final on Sunday to determine which team will represent B.C. at the Babe Ruth regional bantam tournament of champions in San Diego Aug. 12-13.
Meanwhile, at the 10-team double-A midget provincial championship in Mission, the Prince George Surg Med Knights began their quest for a third-straight Baseball B.C. midget provincial title with a 12-6 win over the Ridge Meadows Royals.
Ryan Hampe, the No. 6 hitter in the lineup, ignited the Knights offence with a first-inning grand slam and Derian Potskin followed up with a two-run shot in the third inning for an 8-0 lead.
Colby Lukinchuk notched the win, pitching four innings. Richard French and A.J. Nickolet came in to offer relief.
The Knights (1-0) will take on the Kamloops River Dogs in their next game today.
The tournament winner will advance to the regional midget tournament Aug. 12-13 in Fremont, Calif.
The Prince George Youth Baseball Association entered teams in the peewee championship this week in Surrey and the mosquito double-A championship in Comox. Results were not available.