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Senior Jays back in the win column

June 15, 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

The AA Aurora Jays bounced back from their first two losses of the North Dufferin Baseball League season last week with back-to-back wins.

Facing the tough Midland Indians (10-3-0) at Lambert Willson Park in Aurora on Tuesday, Nathan Robinson and Chris Rettie combined on the mound to pitch a gem for the Jays. Robinson earned the start and kept the Indians off the board through the first three innings, while Stephen Vallee crossed the plate in the home’s half of the third to take a 1 – 0 lead.

Some small ball and a couple of walks allowed Midland to tie the game at one in the top of the fourth, while Aurora spread two more runs over the next two innings to take a 3 – 1 lead into the sixth inning.

More small ball by the Indians in the top half allowed them to single their way to two runs, tying the game at three. Rettie came in to close out the inning with one out, staying the score at 3 – 3.

Aurora took the lead for good in the bottom, scoring to make it a 4 – 3 game while Rettie shut down the Indians in the seventh.

Rettie was also the Jays’ most dominant force at the plate, going two-for-three while cashing in a run. He was one of seven Jays to record a hit in the contest, including Vallee who also had two, and ranks second in the league in batting average with an impressive .500 through 24 at-bats this season.

In 5.1 innings of work, Robinson allowed just two hits and three runs while striking out five. Rettie shutout the Indians in 1.2 innings allowing two hits.

Five days of rest did nothing to quiet the Aurora bats when the club travelled to Alliston on Sunday to take on the Athletics, the first meeting of the year between the two.

A three-run home run from Alliston’s Cole Quinlan wasn’t enough to overcome a strong seventh inning of offence for the Jays, who took a close one, 7 – 6.

Though currently ranked sixth with a record of 6-2-0 in the fourteen-team senior league, the Jays’ slow schedule is not yet indicative of their success. A number of postponements and rain delays has the Jays at least three games back, and as many as eight, of every other club’s schedule.

They can gain some ground this week with four games on the docket, beginning Tuesday after press time when they host the Athletics at Lambert Willson Park. Three games are to be played over the weekend, including a tough matchup with the 9-2-2 Ivy Leafs on the road Saturday followed by a doubleheader with the Creemore Braves on the road Sunday.

For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.ndbl.ca.

         

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