Minor Bantams open their season with a win and a loss, News, Minor Bantam (14U), 2019 (Stratford Minor Baseball Association)

This Team is part of the 2019 season, which is not set as the current season.
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May 18, 2019 | Dale | 631 views
Minor Bantams open their season with a win and a loss
The Stratford Nationals Industrial Hydraulics and Machines Minor Bantams opened their regular season with a pair of back to back games on Wednesday, May 15th and Thursday, May 16th.  

The Nationals had their home opener on Wednesday against the visiting Cambridge Cubs #2.  Although the team had been practicing indoors for a few months, with the very wet spring they hadn’t even been able to get a single outdoor practice in yet, but that didn’t hold them back as they pulled off a 4-0 win in the opener, and a no-hitter at that.  With the coaches working to get lots of pitchers’ arms some important innings early in the year, there were in fact 3 Stratford pitchers, Kaden Brame, Jake Heinbuch and Luke Zorgdrager that combined for the no hitter over 6.5 strong innings.  Timely hits in the game went to Matthew Witschi, Drew Tessmer, Brame and Zorgdrager.  The scoring was also supported with stolen bases by Max Luk, Liam Parsons, Sam Jeffrey and Zorgdrager.

The next night the Nationals travelled to Brantford for their first road game of the year against the Brantford Red Sox.  This game proved to be another low scoring game with the Red Sox winning 2-0.  The only scoring in the game was in the fourth inning when Brantford was able to capitalize off of a 2 run double to the alley in right centre field.  Drew Tessmer started on the hill pitching a scoreless 3 innings, followed by Zorgdrager and Luk in relief.  Although it didn’t translate to runs scored, the Nationals did get more hits on the night (4) than the Red Sox (3) with singles going to Karson Stokke, Heinbuch and Brame, and a double by Cody Burdett.  Garrett Spahiu had a very deep drive to centre field but the Red Sox must have known he could hit the ball a mile as the centre fielder was playing way back to make the play.  Stokke also added a stolen base on the night. The Nationals infield turned a sweet 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the 6th to keep the game close and give them a chance in the 7th.

The Nationals next action is not until the 29th when they travel to Cambridge to play the Cubs #1 team. The team is optimistic that Cole Meadows can be back from the D.L. by then and get his season started with the team.