REDS Split With Hurricanes
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS finished a busy opening weekend at home by splitting their Sunday double-header with the Holland College Hurricanes.
In game one, UNB watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 9-4 loss to the Hurricanes.
A four-run first inning saw the Hurricanes pull ahead and they’d never look back.
Sam Walsh took the win for Holland College, surrendering four runs on five hits over seven innings and striking out five.
Nick St-Pierre took the loss for REDS, giving up eight runs on eight hits over two and two-thirds innings.
“I think we just really came out flat in game one,” said REDS manager Marc MacNevin. “A couple of bad hops, a few defensive lapses, and just not sticking to our game plan at the plate left us in a big hole until late in the first game. We finally woke up in the 6th, but just couldn’t muster up enough runs to get the job done.”
UNB was able to rally in game two, defeating the Hurricanes 13-4.
The game was tight until the 8th inning when the REDS bats came alive. UNB scored eight runs to take a comfortable lead into the 7th and final inning
The offensive onslaught came from singles by Connor Hill, Nick Rushton, Luke Smith, Ellsworth, and Adam Wenzel and a sac fly by St Pierre.
First-year pitcher Iain Warr got the win for UNB. Hesurrendered four runs on seven hits over seven innings, striking out three.
“It felt great to get the win,” said Warr. “I had the team behind me, playing great defense the whole game. Everyone was dialed in, we got the other team quiet early and powered through. It was a great day at the park.”
The win was the first of Warr’s collegiate career with the REDS, a team he’s been looking forward to joining for a while now.
“It feels great to play for a team with such a legacy’” said Warr. “It’s crazy to be playing with all of these guys that I looked up to a few years ago, and I can’t wait to see where the season ends up for us.”
The REDS end their weekend with a 3-1 record and sit atop the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball Association standings.
“As coaches, we really got to test just how deep this team really is and put some pressure on a couple of players that we needed to test,” said MacNevin. “Our veterans are turning it up and leading the charge and really buying in this year and the new guys are catching on quickly and having an impact.”
Up next for UNB, a trip to Nova Scotia, next weekend, where they will face the Acadia Axemen on Saturday and Dalhousie Tigers on Sunday for a series of double-headers.
“The key for us will be to keep the tempo up and keep everyone engaged at all times,” said MacNevin. “If we keep the energy up, we get guys talking about what they’re going to do with the ball if it’s hit to them and knowing where to be if it’s not. That helps keep down the mental errors and keep our defensive innings efficient. If we can play tough defense, have good approaches at the plate, and throw strikes; we can win a lot of ball games.”
RECAP AND PHOTOS BY: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics