The VIU Mariners have seen, during the first half of the season, that hard work can get them a long way. If they can limit a few more mistakes, they can get even closer to where they want to be.
Vancouver Island University’s baseball team plays its final home games of the season Wednesday, April 25, taking on the Fraser Valley Cascades at Serauxmen Stadium.
VIU and UFV played a four-game series this past weekend at Serauxmen, too, with the Mariners winning the first two games by scores of 7-5 and 5-3 before dropping the next two by scores of 9-5 and 12-9.
While the M’s scored quite a few runs, they allowed too many, too.
“Everybody makes mistakes, it’s part of the game of baseball,” said Nick Salahub, VIU manager. “It’s just we’ve got to find a way to minimize and not let them compound.”
He said he’s been proud this season of his team’s heart and soul and saw that again in Sunday’s late game as the M’s attempted to come back from one rough inning in which they surrendered seven runs.
“Baseball is funny like that. We gave up seven runs and one ball was hit hard,” Salahub said. “That’s just part of the game and sometimes it breaks your way and sometimes it doesn’t.”
In the first game, Tanner Hess was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and Devin Heck and Lucas Galloway had two hits each. Nathan Wedgewood was the winning pitcher after allowing one run over 3 1/3 innings of relief.
The next game saw Matt Johnson throw seven shutout innings for the win, striking out five. Heck and Phil Whelan had two hits apiece.
In Sunday’s early game, Whelan had two hits and three RBIs and Brodan Bydeweg had two doubles.
In the finale, Hess was 3-for-3 and Heck had two hits and four RBIs.
GAME ON … Wednesday’s game times at Serauxmen Stadium are 11:35 a.m. and approximately 2:30 p.m. Admission is free.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
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