Marty Steen finished a single shy of a cycle on Tuesday night as the Red Arrow Duncan Tigers defeated Longwood Brewery 10-0 in a four-inning mercy at Glenora’s Waldon Park.
Steen hit for extra bases on every trip to the plate as he went 3-for-3 with a double, triple and a grand slam, knocking in six runs and scoring two himself as the Tigers won another chapter in the Nanaimo Senior Men’s Fastball League’s Battle of the Breweries.
The Duncan team’s efficiency in mercying Longwood in four innings prevented Steen from a chance at a rare accomplishment.
“If the game was any longer, he might have hit for the cycle,” Duncan manager Joe DiLalla commented.
The Tigers started off strong in the first inning as Kyle Wanless and Tanner McQuarrie walked, then scored on Steen’s triple. Dan Whiteford brought home Steen on an infield put-out, and there was no more scoring until the bottom of the fourth.
Craig Snyder walked to lead off the fourth and Dave Wylie singled, and both eventually scored on passed balls. Trevor Gicas hit a double, Wanless smacked a single and McQuarrie reached on an error, and then they all came home on a grand slam by Steen.
The Tigers had just six hits on the evening, but walked nine times, with five of those free passes turning into runs. Wanless finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs, Wylie was 1-for-3 with a run and Gicas went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Snyder pitched the whole game, allowing three hits and no walks.
Between their last home game and Tuesday, the Tigers also won their last couple of road games, beating Longwood 15-4 at Pioneer Park on May 15 and Wheatsheaf 6-3 in Cedar on May 23. Duncan’s next game is set for Tuesday, June 4 at home against the Parksville Red Sox at 7 p.m.