Stuart Channel’s Bantam A baseball team endured some tough luck during the provincial championships in Nanaimo, but still finished with a 2-2 record and just out of the playoffs on a run differential.
“It didn’t go as well as we’d hoped,” conceded Jamin Stocks, head coach of the combined Chemainus and Salt Spring Island squad.
Stuart Channel had a player tossed out during the first inning of the opening game and suspended for the ensuing game, but still managed to edge host Nanaimo 9-8 in a barnburner to get things started on the right foot.
Nanaimo battled back in the late stages to make a game of it, but Jacob Stocks came in to pitch the last inning and put out the fire.
Stuart Channel had a rough second day and couldn’t get anything going during a 13-1 mercy rule loss to Port Coquitlam/Port Moody and 20-7 trouncing from Burnaby.
“For whatever reason, our bats went completely silent,” said Jamin Stocks.
Burnaby pounded out 21 hits against Stuart Channel and punched across runs with great execution. Jace Hamm pitched well before having to leave the game with fatigue.
After a break, Hamm returned to ignite a seven-run Stuart Channel rally that included a home run.
The tournament concluded with another 9-8 win over Powell River. Shammi Mahon came up with a pair of critical hits in that game.
Ben Shugar was superb in an 88-pitch outing and Hudson Scheres’ brilliance secured the win. Scheres struck out seven straight batters after he went in to pitch.
The result left Stuart Channel as one of three teams deadlocked at 2-2. “Run differential is what cost us,” noted Stocks, as the team finished fifth out of 10.