Port Hood Blue Jays’ Dylan Campbell slides into third base ahead of the ball where the Strait Area Sting’s Graham MacMaster was preparing to make the tag during Sunday’s U11 game in Port Hood.
-by Bill Dunphy
Put the bat on the ball and good things can happen.
That was the story for Port Hood Blue Jays batter Hughie Joe MacDonald on Sunday at the Dave Muise Memorial field.
Bottom of the sixth and final inning in the first of two U11 games with the Strait Area Sting, bases load, two out, and the Sting up by two runs, 13-11.
Harley Bernard led off with a walk, followed by an RBI double by Shamus MacInnis to close the gap to one run.
Still with no outs, a pair of walks by Emmett MacLean and Gabe Murphy loaded the bases and saw the Sting take out pitcher Calder Marchand and bring in Emmett MacKeigan.
MacKeigan got a force out at home and struck out the next batter for two outs, but Hughie Joe hit a hard grounder past first base to score MacInnis and MacLean for the walk-off 14-13 win.
The Blue Jays were down 12-3 going into the bottom of the fourth after the Sting’s top of the order of Christian MacDonnell, MacKeigan, Marchand and Hudson Burke began the game with the maximum five runs.
Port Hood got three of those runs back in the bottom of the first but the Strait added four more in the second, an RBI walk in the third, and a two-run homer off the bat of Marchand in the fourth for their 12th run.
The Jays began their comeback in the bottom of the fourth with walks by Dylan Campbell and MacDonald and a single by William Rankin to load the bases with one out.
Ethan MacKinnon drove in two runs on a single and Lennox MacInnis hit an RBI single to make it a 12-6 game.
The rally continued in the fifth where Port Hood scored five runs on eight walks. The Strait got one of those runs back in the sixth but couldn’t stop the Jays in their final at-bat.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Sting rode a complete game pitching performance by Emmett MacKeigan to beat the Jays 16-3.
“We pushed their top pitcher right to his daily limit pitch count but he got the final out with his last batter before we had a chance to rally on their relievers,” said Port Hood coach Kenzie Campbell.
Campbell said baseball continues to grow in the Port Hood area with 21 players registered in the U11 program.
“We split them into two even teams for our local weekday house league that includes two teams from Inverness and one from Margaree. That’s just getting started, but it’s an awesome way to get as many players as we can playing ball locally all summer.”
With lots of talent to choose from, Port Hood, like Inverness, were able to put together competitive rep teams to play in the Nova Scotia Bluenose League.
“We selected 12 for our weekend travel team in the Bluenose league,” he said. “We have been focused on developing fundamentals, introducing pitching, and building up their resilience/grit. We are fairly young but there’s lots of potential for us to put it all together for provincials at the end of the summer.”
The Blue Jays are back home at the Dave Muise Memorial field again this Sunday for two games against the Glace Bay All-stars. Game times are 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The Inverness Ravens don’t see action until July 31 when they are in Port Hawkesbury for a 6 p.m. game at Oaklee’s ball park to play the Sting.
On Sunday, Aug. 2, they are at home for a doubleheader against the Antigonish Angels. Game times are 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Ned MacDonald Memorial field.