CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders used a six-run fourth inning to defeat the Chatham Ironmen 7-4 Saturday and win their first game of the season.
Third baseman Grant Grady presented coach Doug Hines with the ball after Game 1 of the doubleheader at Memorial Field. The Islanders improved to 1-2 in the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League after dropping a doubleheader in Saint John, N.B., seven days earlier.
“The boys swung the bat pretty well and, of course, Jordan (Stevenson) was a bulldog again and kept us in it,” Hines said.
The Islanders entered the fourth trailing 2-1 but the offence got going and the hitting was contagious.
Josh MacDonald led off with a walk. Chatham lefty Rhett Feser caught MacDonald leaning towards second, but the pickoff attempt wasn’t handled smoothly, and MacDonald would score the tying run on Jesse MacIntyre’s single two batters later. Jonathan Arsenault gave the home side the lead with an RBI single and another run scored on Brett Brittany’s ground out.
Logan Gallant chased Feser with an RBI single to centre field to make it 5-2.
Nick MacPhail and Charles MacLellan walked to push across two more runs off reliever Jack Kraft.
“We have a pretty young team, so that’s a big confidence booster for them,” Hines said of the offensive outburst. “We struggled a bit over in Saint John. We played well but we just couldn't get the bat on the ball. We kind of had a mindset today to put the ball in play and see what happens.”
Arsenault led the offence, going 2-for-2, including a bunt single, with two runs scored and an RBI. Grady had a double in the six-run rally and scored once while also collecting the team’s first hit on the afternoon with a single.
MacDonald added an RBI on a fielder’s choice. He walked once and was hit by a pitcher twice. MacPhail added a single to left in the sixth and walked in the second.
Robert Gallant led the Ironmen, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and two runs scored. Nolan Levy went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Nick Leggatt was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Kraft had an RBI double as part of a two-run top of the seventh before MacIntyre ranged from his spot at second base into shallow right field to catch a fly ball and end the game. Ironmen left-fielder Cody Dickson was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Stevenson went the distance, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits while striking out six and walking one. Feser was tagged with the loss after allowing six earned runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked three, hit a batter and struck out four. Kraft didn't give up an earned run in 2 2/3 innings of relief. He allowed a hit, walked three and hit three.
