Pivotal pitching spells Doom for the Jaguars
THE Halton Jaguars came up just short in both their games against Bolton Robots Of Doom on Sunday afternoon.
Both games were close between the teams, but Bolton edged them stifling the Jaguars’ offence across two strong pitching performances from Bruce Parker and Shing Kwok.
Nick Bustin was the Jaguars’ starting pitcher, for the first time this year, and produced a solid performance for most of the game. Bustin kept Bolton to just three runs across five effective innings.
The Jaguars were kept off the scoresheet early, but a breakout inning in the third put them ahead.
Parker, who pitched well in the first two frames for Bolton, could not find the strikezone early in the inning allowing two baserunners who were brought home on a line-drive single from Bustin.
Bustin also scored in the inning giving Halton a narrow 3-1 lead.
Bolton struck back immediately tying the game with two runs of their own on a triple from Dale Hargan.
However, Halton added two more in the top of the fourth on a towering home run from Mitch Cross, putting Halton back ahead.
Hargan and Thomas Ball led Bolton with two hits each, but Kwok’s gamewinning RBI double in the final inning proved pivotal as they crossed the plate four times to register the victory.
In the nightcap, the Jaguars’ offence continued to struggle as Bolton’s starting pitcher, Kwok, dominated the line-up allowing just one run on five hits.
Cross also pitched well for Halton, but defensive errors and an exceptional hit- ● ting performance from Hargan gave Bolton a narrow one run lead.
Bolton took the lead in the bottom of the third inning capitalising on an error by the Halton infield, who let an opportunity to end the frame slip them by.
Halton had to wait until the sixth inning to score their first run, but this sparked their offence into action and gave them the momentum going into the final inning.
Halton earned two quick walks to start the inning, immediately getting a runner into scoring position and their best opportunity to take the lead.
With two out, and runners on second and third, Bustin came to the plate with the opportunity to give Halton the lead.
A ground ball in the ‘5.5 hole’ between the third baseman and shortstop looked to be enough to score both runs.
However, a great throw from the short- stop, and a close play at first base, gave Bolton the final out and the win.
The Jaguars had good opportunities to win both games but could not rally in the final frames.
Halton are without a game this weekend, but look to come back stronger against the Harrogate Tigers who travel to the John Mills Ballpark in Runcorn for what promises to be an entertaining twin-bill a week on Sunday, June 4.