With the Islanders holding a 2-0 lead, the Fredericton Royals’ Ali Banks hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth inning to spoil MacLean’s no-hit bid in the second game of a New Brunswick Junior Baseball League doubleheader at Royals Field.
The Royals, who won the opener 6-4, would score once, but Brett Hicken came on in relief to strike out the side in the seventh inning and earn the save in a 2-1 win.
Both teams have now completed regular-season play, and will meet again in the playoffs in two weeks. The Islanders, who finished in second place at 16-8 (won-lost), will have home-field advantage in the best-of-five semifinal series. The Royals (9-13) finished in third place.
The first-place Metro Mudcats will face the winner of the best-of-three quarter-final series between Saint John and Chatham in the other semifinal.
Islanders 2 Royals 1
P.E.I. staked MacLean to an early 2-0 lead as Connor McGregor’s run-scoring single and an RBI ground out by Elijah Hood scored both runs in the top of the second inning. McGregor and Darcy Affleck each had two hits for the Islanders.
Ryan Hornibrook took the pitching loss as MacLean and Hicken held Fredericton to just two hits.
Royals 6 Islanders 4
In Game 1, Dan Bertrand’s walk-off two-run shot gave the Royals the opening-game win.
P.E.I. starter Spencer Horne was again victimized by shoddy defence as he gave up four unearned runs while surrendering nine hits and fanning four.
Bertrand also tossed three innings of shutout relief to earn the win on the mound.
Solo homers from Affleck and Riley Gallant, who had two hits, gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead going into the fifth inning. Hood, Brandon Watts and Ryne MacIsaac also added hits for the Charlottetown-based P.E.I. squad.
Corey Oulette and Ryan Dickson each had a pair of hits for Fredericton.
