Brewers, Knights split games
The Bolton Brewers and New Lowell Knights are tied at one game a piece after two games on the weekend in the North Dufferin Baseball League championship series.
The best-of-seven affair started Saturday in Lisle where the Knights squeaked out a 5-4 win in a nine-inning contest.
New Lowell opened the game with two runs in the first inning and a third in the sixth inning.
Bolton scored a single run in the third and fifth frames and tied the game in the seventh, forcing extra innings.
In the eighth inning, both teams scored a single run to keep it tied, but the Knights scored in the ninth and held off the Brewers for the win.
Brandon Norrie led the Knights with a single and double. Teammates Tanner Zeggil, Chris Rettie, Sean Connor, Jake Nicholson, Steve Baldry, and Dale Lightheart each singled during the game.
Brett Chater, Mike Wallace, and Stephen Warden hit two singles for the Brewers. Carter Burnside doubled and Chris Fafalios, John Hutchinson, Brett Barwick and Trent Barwick chipped in with a base hit.
Brendan Lyons pitched nine innings, allowed five runs on eight hits, walked four and struck out three for Bolton.
Baldry started on the mound for New Lowell. He pitched six innings, gave up two runs on eight hits, walked three, and struck out six.
Norrie finished the game for three innings, allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and hit one batter.
Game 2 on Sunday in New Lowell was in favour of the Brewers who won the contest 14-11.
Bolton scored early with three runs in the first inning, two of them home runs by Chater and Wallace. The Brewers plated three more runs in the second inning, a lone homerun from Fafalios in the fourth, took a commanding lead in the fifth frame scoring six runs, and finished with a single run in the seventh.
New Lowell’s big inning was in the second scoring five runs, three of them on a triple by Kurt Roy. In the fifth and sixth frames a run was scored and an attempted come back in the seventh when four runs were scored, including a two run homer from Norrie.
Bolton collected 14 hits, with a home run from Wallace and Fafalios, a home run and single from Chater, four singles from Andrew White, two from Hutchinson, and base hits from Warden, Burnside, Nick Pettinaro, and Greg Keenan.
Norrie lead the Knights again with a home run, a double and a single. Roy chipped in with a triple and Todd Patton with two doubles. Sid Beelen doubled and singled, Zeggil hit two singles and Connor and Rettie had a base hit.
Norrie was on the bump for 1 2/3 innings surrendering six runs on five hits, walked four and struck out one Brewer.
Roy pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs on six hits with two walks.
Nicholson came in relief for three innings, gave up one run on three hits, with two walks.
The Brewers also used three pitchers with Trent Barwick working six innings. He gave up seven runs on nine hits, walked four and struck out one.
Alex Pagila pitched in the seventh inning managing two outs but giving up four runs on three hits and walked one batter.
White faced three batters, yielding a walk and striking out one.
The series continues this weekend with Saturday’s game in Bolton at 2 p.m. followed by Game 4 in New Lowell on Sunday at 1 p.m.
