The Kamloops Player’s Bench RiverDogs opened their midget AAA baseball season with four victories on the road.
The RiverDogs went into Cloverdale and dumped the Spurs 12-1 and 4-1 on Saturday.
Kamloops scored seven sixth-inning runs in the opener to make a winner out of starter Mike Gilfillan, who allowed one unearned run while striking out 10 over five innings.
Colin Rintoul had a solid game, swatting a three-run home run to go along with two singles. He ended with four RBI and three runs. Blaine Halland had a triple, two runs and an RBI, while Kyle Pouncy had a single, two walks, two runs and an RBI.
Tyler Cousineau went the distance in the second game, allowing one run on three hits and two walks. He struck out four.Dylan Luison smacked two singles and stole a base, with James Arko and Pouncy each ending with a single, double and a run. Leyton Edye also had a single and drove in a pair.
Kamloops continued to roll Sunday, when it dropped the host Victoria Selects 11-6 and 9-6.
Colton Thompson was the winning pitcher in the opener, allowing two earned runs in four innings, and Pouncy pitched the last three innings.
Luison had three singles, a double, a run and an RBI, while Halland had two singles, two runs and two RBI. Jake Harris hit two singles, scored two runs, drove in a run and stole a base.
Edye and Harris combined to pitch the second victory, with Edye starting and lasting four innings and Harris cleaning up the final three. Each pitcher struck out three. Gilfillan hit a home run, singled, walked and drove in three, while Pouncy also drove in three runs and had two doubles. Halland had four singles, drove in two runs and scored another.
The RiverDogs will spend the weekend serving as guest coaches for Kamloops Minor Baseball’s Spring Into Swing camp for players nine and under. Kamloops’ home opener is scheduled for April 28, when the Chilliwack Cougars visit Canada Games Field.
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The TRU WolfPack baseball team bounced back from two Saturday losses with two Sunday victories.
The WolfPack lost 7-4 to the Okanagan College Coyotes and 5-1 to the Vancouver Island Baseball Institute Mariners on Saturday, before dropping VIBI 6-3 and Okanagan 16-4 on Sunday.
TRU is 8-8 in Canadian College Baseball Conference play. It is off to Lethbridge on the weekend, where it will play against the Calgary Dinos and the host Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs.
Mike Juarez was the losing pitcher against Okanagan on Saturday, allowing three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Starting pitcher Cam Strachan exited after allowing three earned runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Dave Hole had three hits and two RBI.
Denver Wynn took the loss in the second game, striking out 10 over eight innings, but allowing five earned runs. Erik Herbranson had a double and scored a run for the WolfPack, which managed two hits, the other from Brent Carmichael.
The WolfPack got back on track Sunday morning, with Travis Nevakshonoff pitching a five-hitter in the victory. Alex Condon had a big game for the WolfPack, swatting a second-inning grand slam and a fifth-inning solo shot. Reid Flasch had one of the WolfPack’s other two hits — it only managed four — and drove in a run.
TRU put up seven runs in each of the first two innings of the second game.
Hole had a home run, a triple and a double to go along with two runs scored and four RBI, while Condon hit a two-run homer, his fourth of the season. Cody Pendergast drove in three runs and Herbranson brought in a pair.
