Bearcats nab provincial U18 AAA crown
An early tournament loss served as a wake-up call for the Truro Bearcats at the Nova Scotia under-18 AAA baseball championship.
After a 9-1 setback to the Kentville Wildcats in their opening game, the Bearcats reeled off four straight wins to claim the provincial title at Beazley Field in Dartmouth.
Truro atoned for their only loss of the tournament by defeating Kentville 6-4 in a thrilling goldmedal game.
The Bearcats held a two-run lead after the first inning and added another in the fourth for a 3-0 cushion. The Wildcats, however, battled back and tied the game 3-3 in the bottom half of the fourth.
Truro took the lead for good in the fifth with three runs, including a two-run single by Connor Angers. Kentville managed one in the seventh, but would get no closer.
Bearcats pitcher Jackson Haight went the distance for the win and was also 2-for-3 at the plate.
In the Game 1 loss to the Wildcats, Justin Ferguson went 2-for-3 with a double for the
Bearcats, while pitcher Chandler MacKinnon took the loss.
With their backs against the wall, the Bearcats turned things around Saturday and shaded the Halifax Mets 3-2 in eight innings.
Dan Chisholm threw a complete-game gem, allowing just six hits while fanning three. The Bearcats scored the winning run on a Nate Stone sacrifice fly to score MacKinnon.
In the bottom of the eighth,
Truro’s defence went to work and shut down Halifax, which had two runners on base with none out, but failed to score.
In a 16-4 triumph over Tri County, Dawson Briggs pitched the win, while Josh Calder closed it out. Luke Smith singled and drove in a run, while Angers and Zack Betts each added two hits and Mackie Marquis singled.
The Bearcats finished second in their pool and played a semifinal
game against the Dartmouth Arrows.
Mackinnon got the nod and went the distance to lead Truro to an exciting 8-6 victory.
Haight belted a home run, double and drove in two runs, while Mats Stone went 3-for-4 with two doubles and Briggs went 3-for-3 with a walk. Betts collected a pair of hits and Marquis singled. Kentville defeated Cape Breton 5-4 in the other semifinal.