Dartmouth humbles 'Cats 12-1

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

The Dartmouth Moosehead Dry used a tried-and-true combination – Jason Bailey on the mound and Joel Irvine at bat – to get the best of the Kentville Wildcats Thursday evening in Dartmouth.

The two teams were supposed to play Wednesday in Kentville, but that contest was postponed due to wet field conditions and will now be played Monday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Park.

On Thursday, Bailey and Irvine turned back the clock in leading their team to a lopsided victory. Dartmouth scored five times in the first inning and led 9-1 after three innings, which was called eventually after seven innings under the NSSBL 10-run ‘mercy rule’.

Thorn in their side

Bailey, a thorn in the Wildcats’ side for years, allowed just one run on three hits in a complete game performance while Irvine paced the Dartmouth offense with five singles and three RBI.

Greg West added a home run, three singles and four RBIs. Jay Washington chipped in three singles and Dan Comeau two singles as the Dry had 18 hits in total off Curtis Falls and relievers Corey Kent and Kevin Daurie.

For Falls, who allowed nine runs in the first three innings, it was a rare poor performance in the midst of what has been a solid 2009 season.

Offensive highlights were few and far between for the Wildcats, with a Nick Hill double his team’s lone extra base hit.

Kentville’s record dropped to 7-6 with the loss, tied with Dartmouth (4-3) for second place in the standings behind first-place Halifax (8-3).

The Wildcats are next in action Wednesday evening, July 8 when they host Halifax in a 7:30 start at Memorial Park. The ’Cats return to Dartmouth Thursday, July 9 then host the Dry in the make-up game July 13.