The Nanaimo Palladian Pirates started the season swinging a hot bat.
The city’s B.C. Junior Premier Baseball League team began the 2011 season with a huge 13-3 mercy-rule victory over the Fraser Valley Chiefs on Sunday on the mainland. The junior Pirates then lost the second half of the doubleheader 7-4.
In the opener, Spencer Dawson keyed the offence, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a run batted in. Bryan Odgers had two RBI. Nate Odgers was the winning pitcher, striking out eight Chiefs over six innings and allowing two earned runs.
The second game the junior Pirates led 4-2 before one rough inning proved costly. Bryan Odgers went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and Griffin Andreychuk hit a double and scored two runs.
GAME ON … The Palladian Pirates are heading to the mainland again this coming weekend, taking on the Langley Blaze on Saturday (April 23) and facing the Coquitlam Redlegs the next day.