STRATFORD, P.E.I. — The Morell Chevies used bat-around second and third innings to blast The Alley Stratford Athletics 18-0 in five innings Wednesday in the opening game of the Kings County Baseball League final.
Game 2 is Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Morell.
The regular season champion Athletics escaped the first inning allowing only one run despite the Chevies, who finished second in the regular season, putting runners on the corners with no outs and ahead 1-0.
Brady Arsenault got a pop up to second base, a strike out and a pop up he handled himself to get out of the inning.
Troy Coffin set the host Athletics down in order in the bottom of the inning before the Chevies took control of the contest with four runs in the top of the second inning when nine Morell batters went to the plate to take a 5-0 lead.
The wheels came off for Stratford in the top of the third inning as 12 straight batters reached on five singles and seven walks, many on full-count pitches, before an out was recorded. The Chevies sent 16 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs in the inning to take a 16-0 lead.
Scott Harper’s RBI double in the first inning drove home Taylor Larkin with the game-winning run.
Logan Gallant led the Chevies’ offence, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI. Larkin was 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI while Harper was 2-for-4, drove in a run and scored three himself. Duncan Picketts went 3-for-5 while Darcy Affleck went 1-for-1, walked three times, scored four times and drove in a pair.
Randy Taylor and Allister Smith were 1-for-2 for Stratford while Gabe Penalver was 1-for-1.
Troy Coffin earned the complete-game victory, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out one.
Brady Arsenault was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on six hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out two.
Gabe Penalver gave up 10 runs on four hits and six walks in relief before Ryne MacIsaac finished the game by allowing three runs on four hits, three walks and a hit by pitch. He struck out six in three innings of relief.
