There were Angels in the outfield, but the Nanaimo Coal Miners hit the ball right over those outfielders’ heads.
The city’s Pacific International League men’s baseball team swept a doubleheader against the Coquitlam Angels on Sunday at Serauxmen Stadium, winning by scores of 7-1 and 3-1.
The Coal Miners were supposed to play two PIL road games against the Burnaby Bulldogs on Saturday, but those contests got rained out.
In Sunday’s first game, Joey Benda cruised to victory on the mound, throwing six innings. Dale Ballance went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, Greg Wallace was 2-for-3 with two RBI, Kris Small was also 2-for-3 and Jeff Vickers hit an RBI double.
In the second game, Shane McQuade earned the win on the mound with four innings of work. The Miners only had two hits on the day but made them count – Vickers smacked a two-RBI double and Wallace had Nanaimo’s other hit.
The two wins evened the Coal Miners’ record to 7-7.
GAME ON … The Coal Miners head to the Interior this weekend where they will face the Kelowna Jays on Saturday (June 25) and the Kamloops Sun Devils on Sunday. Then the following weekend is the annual Canada Day Baseball Blast tournament in Kelowna. Next home action for the Coal Miners is July 9, when the Langley Blaze PIL team visits Serauxmen Stadium for games at noon and 2:30 p.m.