There’ll be no rest for the wicked this weekend for the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders hunker down for three games in two days.
First up, the Isles (2-2) host the Saint John Alpines (0-4) for a doubleheader today in Charlottetown.
Game 1 starts at 2 p.m. at Memorial Field.
Then the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League club is mainland-bound for a Sunday night tilt versus the Moncton Fisher Cats at 7 p.m.
So Keith Craswell, Islanders head coach, said today’s mound work will determine how the team responds to the workload come Sunday. Craswell is down one pitcher, Tyson Blue, who’s out with a sore throwing shoulder.
“A lot of it will depend on (today) and how many pitchers I’m going to use. Saint John has lot of left-handed hitters and that will use up my lefties,” said Craswell. “As far as the infielders and outfielders, they’ll be able to bounce back.”
Craswell hasn’t picked a starting pitcher for Game 1, but said lefty Brody McDonald and righty Jordan Stevenson will work today.
Charlottetown inflicted a season-opening thumping on the Alpines, 11-2 and 12-6, two weeks ago in Saint John, but fell back to earth last weekend when the Fredericton Royals out-muscled the Isles 8-5 and 10-2 at Memorial.
In Game 1, Charlottetown had a 5-3 lead after four innings, but surrendered five runs in seventh. In Part 2, Fredericton had a 3-2 edge after five, then slapped up seven runs during the next two frames for the double-digit victory.
There, said Craswell, the defence faltered when it shouldn’t have.
“Our defence let us down. I thought we were right with them. We got the ground balls when we needed them, but didn’t make the plays. We have to sharpen up our defence and stop giving them four or five outs.”
Sunday, the Islanders get a first look at the Fisher Cats (1-1), a blend of the former Moncton Mets and Hub City Brewers.
“I expect them to be a little better than they have been the last couple of years,” he said. “We’re right with them. Fredericton, Chatham, Saint John. You can’t take any days off in this league.”
Isles infielder Jordan Duffy is out with an eye injury.
[“source-theguardian.pe.ca”]
