Table setters
McKenna, MacLean pace Islanders to victory in second game of doubleheader
The top of the order did the damage Wednesday as the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders salvaged a split of their doubleheader with the Chatham Ironmen.
Leadoff man Dylan McKenna and No. 2 hitter Morgan MacLean were each 4-for-4 as the Islanders won the second game 7-0 in New Brunswick Senior Baseball League action at Memorial Field. McKenna had two doubles, two singles and scored four times while MacLean had three singles, a double, drove in three runs and scored twice.
“Things were clicking,” MacLean said, “but everybody chipped in. It was a big team win. We played great that second game.”
The victory came after the Islanders dropped a 3-0 decision in the opener and went four and two-thirds innings without a hit against Jimmy Walls.
“I don’t know what was going on the first game . . . (but we’ve) got to hand it to him, he was on,” MacLean said.
The Islanders didn’t wait long to get to Game 2 starter Kris MacKay.
McKenna doubled to right field and MacLean singled to left to open the scoring. After Dillon Doucette and Sean Corcoran had one-out singles, Jordan Duffy hit a two-run single as the Isles took a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
“The bats just came alive for us and once we got a few hits we sort of just kept rolling,” MacLean said.
It was all the run support Jacob Beck would need. He scattered six hits and struck out three for the complete-game victory.
“To get a good jump like that it gives Jake that much more confidence and makes it a little easier to throw,” said coach Keith Craswell.
MacLean, who caught both games, said Beck had more velocity than normal, hit his spots and kept the Ironmen off balance by mixing his pitches.
Game 1 starter Brody McDonald wasn’t as lucky.
Jimmy Russell got things going for the Ironmen when he blooped a double to shallow centre with one out in the top of the fifth of a scoreless game. An error moved him to third and when Orry Cook’s squeeze bunt went up in the air it looked like McDonald would be able to catch the ball and double off Russell, but the ball bounced off his glove for a fielder’s choice to score the first run of the game.
They added two more in the seventh when the Islanders committed two of their four errors.
“We didn’t play very well. Our gloves let us down a little bit and we didn’t swing the bats very well,” Craswell said.
MacDonald was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs on eight hits and striking out seven.
“It’s tough whenever you see a pitcher lose like that,” MacLean said. “Brody did his part for sure, we just couldn’t get any runs for him.”
Craswell said it was nice to bounce back and get the split. He said defensive consistency is key for the team being successful.
“If we tidy up some of the defensive stuff, I like our chances,” he said.
Charlottetown (9-7) travels to Saint John, N.B., for two games with the Alpines on Saturday. Chatham is 8-8.