The Chilliwack bantam AA Cougars are off to a solid summerball start, going 4-0-1 through five games as they try to track down a provincial berth.
The Cougars opened the season with an 11-1 dismantling of the Cloverdale Spurs 11-1. Playing on his home diamond at Fairfield Park, Cougar starter Tony Pharand threw a complete game, allowing only one run on two hits in five innings pitched. Ryan Petkau, Evan Kellington and Josh Anderson all went two for four at the plate with two RBI’s each.
Game 2 in Abbotsford (July 5) saw a determined Abby squad down the locals 11-3, but the Cougars rebounded in Game 3, putting up 11 runs to demolish Aldergrove.
Pharand pitched another stellar game allowing no runs in five-and-a-third innings pitched. Kellington picked up the last two outs.
The offence explosion started in the third inning with the Cougars already up by two and runners on second and third. Anderson came through with a clutch hit, knocking a single to push the lead to 4-0.
Trent Loewen (two-for-two with two walks on the night) iced the game with a bases-loaded single in the sixth. Cohen Bogart went two for four and Petkau hit a huge triple to the fence.
Saturday saw the Cougars at Fairfield for a double header against North Delta. The Cougars continued their winning ways in the first game, winning 13-3. The offence picked up where it left off in Aldergrove by scoring seven runs in the first inning, with singles coming from Devyn Heggs, Zac Power and Pharand. Anderson had a double and Petkau legged out another triple.
Starting pitcher Kellington allowed only one run over three innings before reliever Dan Rogers came in to close the door.
The second game of the double header saw the Cougars face a more determined North Delta squad. Chilliwack’s offence opened up an 8-3 lead in the second inning, capitalizing on North Delta errors and key hits from Kaleb Loewen, Pharand and Kellington (who had four RBI’s in the game).
North Delta kept chipping away at the lead only to fall s