’Cats come back for key win against Dartmouth

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

The Kentville Wildcats used staying power and some late-inning heroics to steal a 6-5 win from the Dartmouth Moosehead Dry Wednesday evening at Memorial Park.

Trailing 5-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats scored three runs to tie the score at five then plated the winner with two out in the bottom of the ninth.

Corey Kent (1-1) got the win in relief of starter Jeff Bishop. Steve Nelson, who went the distance for the Moosehead Dry, was tagged with the loss.

Dartmouth grabbed the early advantage with three runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Joel Irvine followed by a huge two-run homer by Darren Doucette.

The Wildcats came right back with two in the bottom of the first, one run scoring on a bases loaded walk to Mike Lockhart and the second crossing the plate when Brad Steadman beat out an infield single with a headfirst slide into first.

The score stayed 3-2 until the top of the sixth, when Chris Goodie’s double scored Chris Head, who had walked and stole second.

Within striking distance

Bishop, despite allowing 12 hits through seven innings (Dartmouth finished with 14 hits in all), managed to keep the Wildcats within striking distance with a gritty performance on the mound, which included getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth.

Doucette’s RBI single in the eighth made it 5-2, but in the bottom of the inning Mike Lockhart worked a second bases-loaded walk for one RBI, and the tying runs scored on a fielder’s choice and an error by Craig MacDonald on Jeff Lockhart’s grounder.

Dartmouth loaded the bases against Kent in the top of the ninth, but he got out of it by inducing Irvine to ground out, third to first, with Doucette on deck.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Benjamin singled and was replaced by a pinch-runner. Shepherd beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt and after Pearl forced the lead runner at third and Berry flied out, Ian Lockhart singled to left to score Shepherd for the win.

Berry had two singles and a double for the Wildcats. Goodie had two singles and a double, Irvine three singles and Doucette a single and homer for Dartmouth.

Take over first

The win allowed Kentville (7-5) to take over first place in the NSSBL by percentage points over Truro (6-4). Dartmouth, with its second loss in a row, dropped to 5-4.

Ian Mosher, who coached third base with player-coach Jeff Lockhart in the game, said Thursday, “we needed one of those. We haven’t really had to ‘grit one out’ like that so far this year. It’s a real positive for us heading into the weekend.”

The Wildcats take to the road for three games in P.E.I. and New Brunswick this weekend before traveling to Halifax Tuesday evening for their only game next week. Their next home game will be Wednesday, July 2, a 7:30 p.m. start also against Halifax.