The Shamrocks will be hosting last year's Nova Scotia Intermediate Baseball League champion finalists in a doubleheader scheduled for June 21 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
“The two games will be a real challenge,” said Hantsport’s spokesperson Deron Moores.
The Shamrocks will be going up against a very strong Yarmouth club.
Moores said the pitching staff will have to be on the lookout for Scott Jeffery, the Gateways’ first baseman, and Tristan Reede, who is off to a fast start on offense for the Western Nova Scotia based team.
In play last weekend, Hantsport split their doubleheader with the Noel Road Blue Jays.
In the Noel Road bout June 14, the Shamrocks defeated last year's NSIBL champion, 11-4, before losing 7-5 in the second game.
In the 11-4 victory, the Blue Jays’ pitching staff had a rough afternoon as they gave up 10 walks and fell behind 4-0 early on and trailed 4-2 going into the fifth inning before the Shamrocks broke it open with three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth inning.
Roland Provencal hit an RBI double and an RBI single for Hantsport in the opening game. Steve Best threw five innings for the victory, with relief assistance coming from Joey Gaudet.
In their 7-5 loss, the Blue Jays jumped in front with a four-run first inning and were led offensively by Matt Wiseman, who collected a two-out two-run single.
Justin Campbell pitched the win despite giving up a solo home run and an RBI double to Adrian Lloy and three base hits to Jed Martin.
Aaron McPhee collected three singles for Noel Road.
The teams were tied 4-4 after three innings before the Blue Jays added a single run in the fifth inning and scored two more in the sixth inning.
Tyler Welsh was the losing pitcher for Hantsport.
Windsor registers doubleheader win over Kennetcook
The Windsor Knights showed no mercy in their first game of a doubleheader against the Kennetcook Braves last weekend.
They defeated the Braves 17-2.
Caleb Matheson was the offensive star for the Knights in the opening game, going two for four, slugging a home run and collecting four RBIs.
It was a 4-2 game until the Knights struck for 10 runs in the fifth inning. The Braves’ Justin White registered a home run for the Hants County team.
Tyler Singer, the Braves’ coach, was the losing pitcher. The Knights’ winning pitcher was Paul Humphreys.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Windsor defeated Kennetcook 3-1, marking the Braves’ 29th consecutive loss since joining the league as an expansion franchise last season.
The Braves are 0-5 so far this season.
Dave Swindall pitched the win for the Knights, who are now 5-1 in the season.
Wade Flynn delivered the clutch hit for Windsor in the fifth inning, hitting a two-run RBI single.
The teams were scoreless after four innings with all of the game's scoring being done in the fifth and sixth innings.
Despite their losing record, the Singer said he is confident that their losing streak is about to end.
“Three of our five losses this season have been by 3-1 scores and we have added considerable depth over last season's squad,” said Singer.
Among the players added to the team are Ryan Thoms, Dustin Whidden and Evan White. Also joining the club in the past week was Brian Hamilton.
“We are very hopeful of garnering our first win against the expansion Pictou County Royals in a doubleheader this weekend, as we are playing with more confidence,” said Singer.
The Braves travel to Stellarton June 20 for that doubleheader.
Windsor is next slated to play June 24 when they travel to Noel Road to take on the Blue Jays for a 7 p.m. mid-week game.
