The Cowichan Valley Mustangs improved their record to .500 in B.C. midget AAA baseball with back-to-back wins over the Chilliwack Cougars at Evans Park on Saturday.
The Mustangs beat the Cougars 22-12 in five innings in the opener, then won 9-1 in the second half of the doubleheader.
“Chilliwack has a young team,” Cowichan head coach Mario Iannidinardo said. “They played well considering they were shorthanded.”
Jayden Hamm, went 3-for-3 with a triple, a double, five RBIs and two stolen bases as the Mustangs hit 13-for-26 in the opening game.
Nolan Fothergill was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Cole Anderson went 2-for-4 with one RBI, and Cam LeSergent was 1-for-2 with a double and four RBIs. Tanner Cummings didn’t even record an at-bat over four plate appearances, walking three times with a sac fly, but finished with two RBIs, and Kale Eddy went 1-for-1 with a double, three walks and an RBI.
The Mustangs had eight steals in all, including Hamm’s two, and one each by LeSergent, Cummings, Fothergill, Anderson, Jacob Montague and Andrew Strobl. Eddy started the game on the mound and pitched two innings, striking out two and giving up just one hit, and Brayden Radcliffe came in for a third of an inning and didn’t surrender a hit. Fothergill took the win, pitching two and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts.
Hamm again brought out the big bat in the second game, going 2-for-2 with a double and one RBI. Graedy Hamilton went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBIs, Radcliffe was 1-for-1 with a double, Riley Windsor went 1-for-2 with a double and one RBI. Hamm and Strobl each had one steal.
Anderson struck out eight and gave up just one hit over six innings to pick up the win. Dyson Kew pitched the seventh, and also gave up just one hit, while striking out one.
The Mustangs will be at home against the Cloverdale Spurs on Saturday at 1 and 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, they visit Victoria for a doubleheader.
“We’re on a bit of a roll now and are looking to continue that into next weekend against Cloverdale and Victoria,” Iannidinardo said. “Those are big games that could really move us up the standings.”