They started the week in the basement of the B.C. Premier Baseball League, but after three lopsided victories at home, the North Delta Blue Jays have climbed three positions in the standings and to within two games of a playoff position.
The Jays blanked the Abbotsford Cardinals Thursday night in six innings, then swept the Parksville Royals in a double header Sunday to improve to 10-19 (won-lost) on the season.
Abbotsford, which has fallen to 10-15, is in eighth position, just two games up on North Delta.
In their 10-0 win in Abbotsford, North Delta scored four runs in each of the first two innings.
The Blue Jays had 10 hits against Cardinals pitching, including a two-run home run from Brock Morgan, a pair of doubles from Evan Rogers and one double from Ryo Takenaka.
Takenaka had three hits in the game, driving in five runs.
Junior call-up Daniel Gosselin was the winning pitcher, throwing five innings and conceding just four hits while striking out three batters.
North Delta struck early again in Sunday’s first game against the Royals, taking a 5-1 lead after two innings and going on to an 8-1 victory.
Takenaka drove in another three runs, with Rogers collecting a pair of RBIs.
Dylan MacAhonic pitched a complete game for the win, allowing one earned run on seven hits and a walk while striking out five batters.
Starting pitcher Jonathan Cote threw five shutout innings to lead the Jays to a 6-1 triumph in the second game. Cote gave up three hits and a pair of walks while collecting four strikeouts.
Morgan paced the offense for the home team with a two-for-three effort at the plate with one RBI and one run scored.
North Delta is now in 10th place in the 13-team 18-and-under league, just a game back of the 12-19 Whalley Chiefs. The Chiefs will host the Blue Jays for two games Saturday at noon at Whalley Stadium.
The Chiefs were shut out twice on the road last Sunday at McLeod Park by the Langley Blaze, losing by scores of 3-0 and 10-0, before rebounding for a huge win Tuesday night in North Vancouver.
Travis Leclair was two-for-two in game one against the Blaze, while Trevor Henits had a pair of singles in game two.
Colton Wright and Max Williams carried the big bats against the Twins, each getting a pair of hits and scoring one run in a 4-1 victory. Chris de Fabio was the winning pitcher, allowing one earned run on three hits and three walks in three innings pitched. Andrew Callegari threw four shutout innings in relief, preserving the Chiefs lead by limiting the Twins to three hits and a pair of walks.
Both North Delta and Whalley play tonight (Thursday). The Blue Jays are in Langley to face the Blaze, while the Chiefs are at home at Whalley Stadium against the Coquitlam Reds at 7 p.m.