Wildcats drop third straight

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Since starting the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League season with four straight wins, the Kentville Wildcats have fallen on hard times with just four victories in their past 12 contests.

The Halifax Pelham Canadians came from behind to hand the Wildcats their third straight defeat, a 6-4 decision, Tuesday, June 24 in Halifax. Ryan Veinot’s walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning provided the margin of victory.

With the Wildcats leading 4-1 after seven, Halifax struck for three runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score, the tying runs coming courtesy of Adam Lucas’s two-run homer.

Kentville took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning and after Halifax scored once in the bottom of the third, the ’Cats scored single runs in the fifth and seventh to make it 4-1.

Kentville starter Kevin Nichols went eight innings and departed with the score tied at four. Relievers John Rowe and Taylor Welch, who surrendered Veinot’s homer and took the loss, were unable to prevent Halifax from scoring.

Pat MacInnis, who entered the game in the seventh inning, picked up the win for the Pelham Canadians in relief of starter Andrew MacIntosh.

Curtis Falls homered for the Wildcats. Ian Lockhart and Kevin Benjamin each had two singles and Nick Hill singled and drove in a pair of runs.

For Halifax, Veinot finished with a homer, two singles and four RBIs. Lucas homered and singled and drove in two and Mark Pelham and Jay Turple both singled twice.

With the win, Halifax improved to 8-7 on the season, good for a share of first place in the standings with Dartmouth (6-5). Kentville’s record dropped to eight wins and eight losses, leaving the Wildcats in a tie with Truro (6-6) for third place, a half-game back.

Next action for the Wildcats is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, a 7:30 p.m. start at Memorial Park, with Halifax providing the opposition once again.