After a positive start to the weekend at Mackie Park, the North Delta Blue Jays struggled the rest of the way against two of the top teams from Vancouver Island.
The B.C. Premier Baseball League team lost three of four games against the Victoria Eagles and Vancouver Island Mariners, saw their record fall to 14-12 (win-loss) on the season, and slipped into sixth place in the 12-team 18-and-under league.
The Jays blanked the second-place Eagles 2-0 in the first of two games Saturday, then lost the rematch 6-0. With the fourth-place Nanaimo Pirates the visitors Sunday, North Delta was swept 8-1 and 8-4.
Daniel Gosselin pitched the home team to their lone win of the weekend, throwing all seven innings and not allowing a walk while shutting out the Eagles. Victoria managed just six hits off Gosselin, who struck out seven batters. The 17-year-old left-hander improved his won-loss record to 4-2, and is ranked third in the league with 55 strikeouts.
Matt Gillen singled to score Logan Newman in the second inning, which proved to be the winning run. Alex Davis scored on an Eagles fielding error for an insurance run in the fifth inning.
North Delta was outhit 12-4 in the second game, and were shutout. Trevor Gentles was the top performer with two singles in three at-bats.
The Blue Jays took an early 1-0 lead in their first game Sunday against Nanaimo, but ran out of gas over the final four innings. Mackenzie Marquis led off the bottom of the first inning with a double, then scored on a single by Newman. It was all the offense the Blue Jays would get.
Nanaimo scored three times on three hits and two walks in the fourth inning, adding five more in the seventh on a hit and five walks.
The Blue Jays took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning of the second game, but again the Pirates rallied late in the game, scoring six times on eight hits over the final three innings.
Marquis was two-for-two with a run scored to lead the North Delta offense.
The Blue Jays will play five games in four days over the weekend. After they visit the 17-17 Whalley Chiefs Thursday night, they host the 9-22 White Rock Tritons for two games Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mackie Park. On Sunday, also an 11 a.m., the 9-18 Victoria Mariners are the visitors.