The Nanaimo Pirates played as advertised.
The Hub City Paving Pirates scored a lot of runs and gave up a lot of runs and ended up with one win and one loss in their home openers Sunday at Serauxmen Stadium. The Abbotsford Cardinals won the early game 7-5 in extra innings, but the Pirates came back to win the rematch 8-6.
"It was a good bounce-back game," said Shane Rogers, Pirates second baseman.
The Cards led that second game 5-1, but the Pirates batted around in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead.
"We were hitting it well; we were seeing the ball well," Rogers said.
Doug Rogers, Pirates manager, said his team was fortunate that the Cards were playing their fourth game of the weekend.
"If they were here fresh, they would have finished us off; they would have had more throwers," he said. "Good on us that we cashed in."
Nanaimo had a chance to win the first game, leading 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh with two out and nobody on, but Abby ended up tying the game and winning it in the eighth.
Doug Rogers said the Pirates lacked focus in several facets of the game on Sunday, with some defensive miscues, missed cut-offs and the like.
"I thought we swung the bat pretty decently again … but that's not going to win you ball games," the manager said. "Mentally making those small things matter to the guys, that is what is going to get us over the hump."
In the win, Sam Baker was the winning pitcher after throwing two innings of relief and giving up one run. Chris Vlaj had two RBI singles in the game and North Rainey, Zach Diewert and Cole Warken had two hits apiece.
In the loss, Matt Skingle hit an RBI single and an RBI double and Rogers had two hits.
The Pirates debuted new uniforms for the opener, virtually all black except for yellow piping on the pants.
"The kids like them," Doug Rogers said. "It is a little different look for the Pirates, but they'll stay warm, anyways. I'm not looking forward to the real hot weather."
Sunday was warm and sunny and perfect for the first B.C. Premier Baseball League games of the season in Nanaimo.
"It was a good crowd, an enthusiastic crowd and it's going to be a fun season to watch these guys," said the Pirates manager. "So hopefully the crowds get better and our game will get better, I can promise that."
GAME ON … The Nanaimo Pirates are home all next weekend for a four-game series against the Okanagan Athletics. The action starts Saturday (April 25) with games at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and continues Sunday with games at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
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Here's a look at the new all-black Nanaimo Pirates uniforms… #BCPBL #FashionWatch pic.twitter.com/LDDRz8if4r
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) April 20, 2015