Over a four-game series last weekend, the North Delta Blue Jays managed to outscore the Okanagan Athletics.
Usually, that’s a good thing. But in Kelowna, it was enough to earn just one victory over the leaders of the B.C. Premier Baseball League. The Jays lost three consecutive one-run games before closing out the weekend with a 5-0 victory.
North Delta’s won-loss record fell to 5-8, dropping the Jays a half-game out of a playoff position.
Late-inning heroics lifted the Athletics to the two wins Saturday.
A run in the top of the sixth inning gave North Delta a 6-4 lead, before the Athletics scored three in the bottom half of the frame. James Ward hit a two-run single to tie the game, then second the winner on another base hit from Josh Croft.
Brad Antchak was three-for-four at the plate for the Jays, with a double and three runs batted in.
North Delta led game two 3-1 after six innings, but the Kelowna crew crossed the plate three times in the seventh inning for a 4-3 victory.
Clint Taylor was the offensive leader for the Blue Jays, driving in two runs on a pair of singles. Starting pitcher Shane Wlodarczak took the loss, allowing four earned runs on dive hits and four walks while striking out seven batters.
The home team did it again in the weekend’s third game Sunday morning, erasing a 3-0 North Delta lead, scoring the tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning and getting the winner with two out in the bottom of the 10th.
The offensive highlight for North Delta was a triple from Wlodarczak which drove in the game’s first run. He would score for a 2-0 lead after one inning.
The Jays took an early lead in the series finale Sunday afternoon, and the pitching of Sodai Hoshi was enough to get the win. Hoshi allowed just three hits and three walks over the seven innings for the shutout.
Taylor led the offence with a pair of hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Antchak and Riley Grewal also collected two hits.
The Jays are at home at Mackie Park Sunday for two games against the 5-7 Parksville Royals. The first contest is set for 11 a.m.
The Whalley Chiefs had their losing streak extended to nine games after three losses on the weekend.
The Chiefs lost twice on the road Saturday to the Coquitlam Reds by scores of 5-4 and 1-0.
Whalley carried a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning of the first game, but the Reds rallied to tie the contest and force an extra inning.
James Matthews doubled to score Matthew Yee for a 4-3 Chiefs lead in the top of the eight inning, but Coquitlam responded with a two-out double that score both the tying and winning runs for the victory. Hayden Malcolm led the Chiefs with a pair of doubles.
Whalley was held to three hits in game two, two from designated hitter Connor Rogers.
Sunday at home against the Vancouver Cannons, the Chiefs left 10 men on base in a 4-0 loss. Braeden Allemann was two-for-two with a pair of walks for Whalley, which is now in the league basement at 1-10.