Bearcats going to playoffs

There was drama right to the end but the Truro Bearcats have advanced to the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League’s postseason.

The Sydney Sooners took just one of three games – the third one, in fact – in Kentville to both lock up first place in the five-team league and also eliminate the Kentville Wildcats (8-20).

Kentville took decisions of 6-4 Friday and 13-6 in Saturday’s opener of a double-header. The Sooners rebounded for a win in the series capper, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth inning, en route to a 3-2 decision.

For their part, the Bearcats (9-19) – wanting to leave nothing to chance – turned in a solid performance Friday, blanking the Dartmouth Moosehead Dry 3-0 at the TAAC Grounds. Had the Bearcats and Wildcats finished tied, a one-game playoff to determine fourth would have been required.

In Sunday’s game with the Dry in town again, Dartmouth took a 7-3 decision. The struggle between the Dry (16-10) and Halifax Pelham Molson Canadians (1611) remains unresolved heading into tonight’s scheduled game between the two at Mainland Common. A make-up game is also on the books between the Dry and Sydney (19-8).

The fourth-place Bearcats will now take on the Sooners in the league championship semifinal with Dartmouth and Halifax Pelham Molson Canadians going at it in the other series, once their standing is determined. The playoff schedule has yet to be released.

Dartmouth 0

Bearcats 3

Friday night’s contest turned into a pitchers’ duel between the Bearcats’ John Chapman and Dartmouth’s Justin Davies, with both going the distance on the mound.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Adam Lombard doubled and Chapman managed to get on base due to an error. After Jeff Chisholm struck out for Truro’s second out of the inning, Dan Bates walked to load the bases for catcher Matt Mingo. After fouling off a few pitches, Mingo walked bringing in Lombard for the game’s first run.

Shawn Mullins singled past the outstretched glove of Matt Doudelet to score Chapman and make it 2-0.

Truro’s third run came in the seventh, after Justin Morton led off with a walk and advanced to third on a couple of groundball outs. He crossed the plate after a Davies wild pitch.

Chapman gave up eight hits and struck out six batters on the night while the Bearcats touched Davies up for four hits. Each team committed an error.

At the plate, Lombard finished with a double and a single for Truro with Darson Murphy and Mullins each added a single.

Doudelet and Chris Thibideau had a pair of singles apiece.

Dartmouth 7

Bearcats 3

Truro’s Jordan Johnson took the loss on the mound Sunday night with Doug Quik getting the win.

Murphy had a single and doubled in a run, while Chisholm had a double, Chapman singled and Lombard drove in a run with a single.

For Dartmouth, Chris Head had two doubles and a single, to score three times. Matt Harding and Ted Comeau both singled and drove in two runs apiece.

The Dry had nine hits to Truro’s seven and both teams committed two errors.