CHATHAM, N.B. – The Chatham Ironmen drew first blood in their New Brunswick Junior Baseball League best-of-five semifinal with the P.E.I. Junior Islanders, with a 5-4 win Sunday in Chatham, N.B.
The Ironmen scored three times in the first on run-scoring singles from Jake Cook and Nick Noel. Another run scored on a P.E.I. error. The Ironmen increased the lead to 4-0 in the third against P.E.I. starter Chandler LaPorte.
P.E.I. began the comeback with two runs in the fourth on an RBI single from Brandon Watts and a bases-loaded walk to Elijah Hood.
P.E.I. tied the game in the seventh in a crazy manner.
The inning started with Laporte and Logan MacDougall both getting hit by pitches. Chasse Gallant then laced an RBI single to bring the Islanders a run closer. A deep fly ball from Ryne MacIsaac moved up the tying run to third base with one out, setting the stage for the craziness.
With MacDougal on third and Gallant on first, Josh Myers lined out to the left-fielder. MacDougall tagged and scored what appeared to be the tying run, but Gallant, thinking the ball had dropped in, did not tag up at first and kept running. After MacDougall crossed the plate, the Ironmen realized Gallant had not tagged up and doubled him off first base. The umpires initially ruled the run did not count and both teams were leaving the field, but after a 20-minute discussion the officials overturned their decision and counted the run, sending the game to the bottom of the seventh tied at 4.
LaPorte got the first two batters out, but Mike McKay walked and was followed by Cook's single. This set the stage from Noel's walk-off single.
Laporte was hard-luck loser, surrendering five hits and striking out five. Ironmen starter Zach Newman went the distance for the win, allowing six hits and striking out 10.
Chasse Gallant, MacIsaac, Myers, Matt Barlow, Riley Gallant and Watts had the P.E.I. hits.
Game 2 of the series is slated for 5 p.m. Monday at Memorial Field in Charlottetown.
