The North Battleford Beavers have had a slow start out of the gate for the 2014 NSRBL season.
The Beavers dropped their second straight home game to start the season Friday night, losing to the Edam Blue Sox 4-1 at Beaver Lions Stadium.
Damon Schaefer threw a complete game with five strikeouts and one run to give Edam their first win of the season. Tyler Russell gave up four runs over more than five innings to drop the Beavers to 0-2 on the season.
The starting pitchers dominated the first three innings of the game. In the top of the second, Russell struck out the first two Blue Sox batters faced before hitting first-baseman Jesse Blais with a pitch. After the next batter singled, Russell struck out right-fielder Denzil McCaffery to end the threat.
In the bottom of the second, Beavers centre-fielder Kyle Palmer walked to start the inning, but was thrown out trying to steal second by Edam catcher Ryan Muyer. After David Miller walked and Blair Geering singled, North Battleford third-baseman Derrick Chapman struck out to strand the runners.
Geering got the Beavers on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Muyer reached base on a fielder's choice and Miller reached on an error. Geering stepped up to the plate and belted a double over top of Edam centre-fielder Tristan Derenoski's head. Muyer scored from second to give North Battleford a 1-0 lead, but Miller was held at third because the runners had to tag up. With a runner on third with one out, Chapman struck out and Spenser Cave grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning.
The Beavers' lead did not last long as Edam scored two runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, left-fielder Kelly Baillargeon walked and catcher Joel Blaquiere was hit by a pitch. The two runners stole third and second respectively. Following Shaefer striking out, Weitzel singled to right field and knocked in Baillargeon and Blaquiere. Weitzel tried stretching the hit into a double, but was thrown out at second by Cave to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, Beavers second-baseman Brennan Lampitt tried to get the momentum going on the base paths. His sharply hit ball went to the wall in left-centre field. Lampitt rounded second and headed for third, but was tagged out at the base after a strong throw from the wall by Derenoski that was cut off and relayed to third by shortstop Shaun Delainey.
After Lampitt was thrown out, Russell started a two-out rally with a single, followed by another single from Palmer. Muyer reached on an error, forcing Russell and Palmer up a base. Miller then ripped a 2-2 pitch, but the ball landed just foul. Schaefer struck Miller out on the next pitch to leave three runners on base.
Edam added two more runs in the top of the sixth. Derenoski led off the inning with a singled and stole second. Blais singled up the middle of the diamond, scoring Derenoski from second as the ball died when it hit the grass in the outfield. After Cole McCaffery walked, Delainey singled into centre field. McCaffery tried to score, but was thrown out at home. Following a Baillargeon walk, Blaquiere hit the ball through Chapman at third, scoring McCaffery to make it 4-1 Edam.
That hit ended Russell's night on the mound as the Beavers brought in Palmer to get the final out. He struck out Schaefer to end the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Palmer struck out two batters to keep the Edam lead at three heading into the bottom of the inning.
Following groundouts from Russell and Palmer, Muyer reached base on an infield single. Miller advanced him with a single to put two runners on with the tying run at the plate. Geering then grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.
North Battleford (0-2) take on the league-leading Border City Blue Jays (3-0) in their next game Tuesday night at Beaver Lions Stadium. Edam (1-0) travels to Meadow Lake Tuesday night to take on the Sox.
