The early season woes of the Coquitlam Reds continued Thursday night. The BC Premier League baseball team lost its fourth game in six starts, dropping a 4-0 decision to the last place North Delta Blue Jays at Mundy Park.
The Reds managed only one hit against Blue Jays’ starting pitcher Ichiro Matsushita, who also struck out seven batters
Reds’ starter Owen Gardner gave up all four runs to the Blue Jays, on seven hits and three walks.
The loss was the third in a row for the Coquitlam team, after they dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the Mid Island Pirates Sunday at Mundy Park.
The Reds gave up two runs in the top of the ninth inning to drop the second game of their doubleheader , 7-5, against the Pirates.
After the Reds lost the first game, 6-4, they drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning of the second game. Ben Grant led off the inning with a double, then advanced to third when shortstop Niko Millas grounded out to his infield counterpart. He scored on Christian Gilchrist’s sacrifice grounder to second.
The Pirates scored twice in their half of the fourth inning to take the lead.
But three doubles in the fifth inning put the Reds back in front, 4-2. Brendan Henits followed up Aaron Sinclair’s lead-off strikeout with a double then advanced to third when Aaron Gardner reached first on a fielder’s choice then scooted to second. Both of them scored when Millas slapped Josh Hill’s 2-1 pitch for a double. Wyatt Schnorr cashed him in with the Reds third double of the inning.
That was enough to chase Pirates’ starting pitcher Hill. He was replaced by Dylan Brock, who retired the next two batters to end any further threat.
The Pirates reclaimed the lead, 5-4, by pushing three runners across the plate in the top of the sixth.
The Reds tied it again in their half of the inning. Gilchrist led off with a walk on five pitches, then his replacement runner, Travis Butler, moved to second on Kyle Maunahan’s single. Both then advanced when Hill was called for a balk. After James Mitchell struck out, Butler scored on a Sinclair’s sacrifice fly to center field. Monaghan was left stranded at second by Brendan Henit’s strikeout to end the inning.
Neither team generated much offence until the top of the ninth, when the Pirates were able to convert two hits and an error into two runs.
Pirates’ reliever Gavin Pringle earned the save, facing only three Reds’ batters in the bottom of the inning.
