Jays continue winning ways over Armena

The Holden Blue Jays had two big innings which helped them win their second straight game 10-5 against a full squad from Armena Thursday night.

Both teams traded runs early in the game until Holden potted a 4-run fourth inning to take a 6-1 lead. Armena starter Kyle Ellis got help defensively to keep a Holden team off the board that loaded the bases and had runners in scoring position in the first three innings.

But, in the fourth, after Ellis walked home a run, and a slow-roller to short couldn’t be picked up by newly placed shortstop Joel Boettger after Adam Johnson was moved in to pitch, the Blue Jays hit a double to extend the lead – one they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the night.

But it looked to be a little in doubt in the sixth inning. Armena potted 5 runs of their own as Clark Banack smoked a double to drive home two and Jason Buzzell knocked in a run-scoring single to make it 7-5 heading to seven.

But the resiliant Jays made hay in the seventh, all with two outs. Johnson, pitching well in relief got a batter to 0-2 before walking him, then got a hard hit ball to centre-field that Kyle Ellis couldn’t track down after shifting to play a pull. The runner reached third, and then scored on a base hit, before a double made it 10-5 to seal the victory.

The Royals still looked good offensively, notching extra base hits from Boettger and Banack who hit doubles and Zenan Sherbaniuk who notched a stand-up triple. 

The loss forces an early-season pivotal match-up with the Bardo Athletics who beat their arch-rivals from Ryley for the second time Tuesday night. Armena won the first two games of the series, but the game is in Bardo. Rumours say Boettger will make his second game in a row, but the team may elect to throw fellow Round Hill native Ian Sherbaniuk.

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Jason Buzzell