Come-from-behind win gives Wildcats 2-0 series lead

BY JOHN DECOSTE

NovaNewsNow.com

There are lots of old clichés in sport, but the Kentville Wildcats will make do with three. The playoffs are a whole new season; you’re only as good as your last game; and it ain’t over ’till it’s over.

Twenty-four hours after an impressive 6-1 victory over Dartmouth in the opener of their NSSBL semifinal, the Wildcats scored twice in the eighth and twice in the ninth Friday at Memorial Park for a come-from-behind 7-6 win and a 2-0 series lead.

Kevin Daurie and Corey Kent contributed two scoreless innings apiece innings in relief of Wildcats’starter Trevor Wamback who departed after five innings trailing 6-3, with Kent, who contributed a scoreless eighth and ninth, getting credit for the victory.

Trevor Zwann took the loss in relief of Steve Nelson, but Craig Langille surrendered the winning run, which scored on an error by shortstop Chris Goodie.

Kentville took a 3-0 first inning lead off Nelson on an RBI single by Kevin Benjamin, an error by Goodie on Ian Lockhart’s grounder and an RBI groundout by Luke Smith.

Dartmouth got on the board in the third on Joel Irvine’s RBI fielder’s choice. Irvine then scored on a Wamback wild pitch to make it 3-2.

The Dry tied the score on a Matt Thomas RBI single in the fourth, then took a 6-3 lead with three runs in the fifth on two hits and a pair of Kentville errors.

Kevin Benjamin led an 11-hit Kentville offense with two singles and three RBI. Ryan Brothers had two singles and two RBI, Les Berry contributed a double and single and Ryan Pearl also had two singles.

Irvine had a double and two singles for Dartmouth, and Thomas added two singles.

In what turned out to be a sloppy game defensively, Dartmouth aided Kentville’s cause by committing four errors, two in the ninth inning, while the Wildcats made three errors.

Game three of the series is set for tonight in Dartmouth, weather permitting, with game four scheduled for Monday evening at 7:30 back at Memorial Park.