The Mosquito team hosted Kitchener on Monday May 28 and Guelph on Wednesday May 30 - both at Dufferin Park.
Monday night the Nationals crossed the plate early and often to give starting pitcher Henry Tuer a good lead to work with. After giving up one run in the first inning, Hank kept the bases clean for the next two innings, striking out a pair in the third. Reid Gerber, Austin Musselman and Rylan Hall started the hit parade in the second inning and Tuer and Aaron Green kept them hot in the third, cashing 3 and 6 runs respectively. Brenden Sippel came in to close out the game in the fourth and fifth and kept the Kitchener bats quiet. Stratford pounded in 5 more runs in the fourth to stretch the lead and end things early for the visitors. Final score Stratford 14 – Kitchener 3.
Wednesday night the Royals from Guelph came in and gave the Nationals hitters fits at the plate. Aaron Green was on the hill for Stratford and pitched three hitless innings, striking out five and surrendering one run. With the bats running cold the Nationals stayed patient at the plate and played a little small ball to manufacture some runs. A few timely walks in the second and a well-placed bunt by Austin Musselman scored a couple runs to put the home team up 3-1 after four innings. Despite solid middle relief innings by Colin Slattery and Brenden Sippel, the Royals managed to claw their way back and put three runs on the board in the sixth inning off of their first hit of the game, taking the lead 5-4. The Nats got a couple key hits in the sixth from the heart of the order with singles by Aaron Green and Reid Gerber to knot the game at 5 heading into the 7th inning. Rylan Hall kept Guelph off the board so it was up to bats to take it home in the bottom of the inning. Blake Hodgson battled out a huge, 10 pitch at bat to earn a walk, moved to second on a HBP to Sippel. Both runners advanced on a passed ball to put the winning run on third. On a gutsy call by third base coach Mike Murphy, he gave the signal for Musselman to lay down another bunt and he executed to perfection. Hodgson was on his horse to slide into home and seal the deal on a suicide bunt. Final score Stratford 6 – Guelph 5.
Stratford is on the road for games in Kitchener and Cambridge next week before coming home to host Woodstock on Wednesday night.