Tom Robson deserved a better fate.
The Langley Blaze pitcher was near-perfect in the second game of Sunday’s B.C. Premier Baseball League (BCPBL) double header against the Fraser Valley Chiefs at Whalley Stadium. The 17-year-old from Ladner struck out 10 of the 21 batters he faced, and allowed just one walk and a single by Jordan McComb.
Unfortunately for Robson, McComb scored on one of the two Langley errors, and Chiefs pitcher Ty Walker tossed a no-hitter in a 1-0 Fraser Valley victory. McComb was on third base when the Blaze catcher fielded a short hit, and overthrew first base.
“Tom Robson is the best pitcher in Canada,” said Chiefs head coach Ernie Hawkins. “He’s been picked for the national team, and he’s a beauty. He’ll be a high draft pick.
“But Ty Walker just threw a better game, he no-hit them. We’re glad to get the win for Ty.”
Walker, an 18-year-old Sands Secondary student, walked just one batter, striking out five for a complete-game win, his third in as many starts this season.
The win allowed the Chiefs to split the double header with the BCPBL leaders. Langley won the first game 4-1, with Kyle Joel throwing a two-hitter while allowing just one walk. Joel threw a perfect game last month in Abbotsford at the Cardinals Invitational.
Fraser Valley is now in fifth place in the 13-team 18-and-under elite league with a 7-3 won-lost record, just a game and-a-half back of first place Langley.
The Chiefs won two of the three games played in the past week, as they edged the Coquitlam Reds 3-2 last Wednesday in Whalley.
Nathan de la Feraude started on the mound for the Chiefs, leaving the game after five innings having given up two earned runs on one hit and six walks. Alec Dunbar got the win in relief while pitching one shut out inning, with Dylan Johnson blanking the Reds in the seventh frame for the save.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Fraser Valley got the win when Declan Murphy and Braeden Allemann scored on a Coquitlam fielding error with two out.
The Chiefs play four times against the North Shore Twins (6-6 won-lost) next weekend, hosting two games Saturday at Whalley Stadium before traveling to North Vancouver for a pair Sunday.
The Twins were swept in their double header last Sunday at Mackie Park by the North Delta Blue Jays.
North Delta snapped a 3-3 tie with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in the first game, hanging on for a 6-5 victory.
Jays batters collected six hits in the contest, with Bryan Elias getting a pair while scoring two runs and driving in a third.
North Delta had 10 hits of North Shore pitching in game two, a 7-4 win. Cam Frick scored once and batted in another on three hits, while Matt Pentland had a pair of hits with two runs batted in.
Now in sixth place at 7-5, the Blue Jays host the 1-12 Vancouver Cannons tomorrow (Thursday) at Mackie Park, before traveling to Vancouver Island for double headers Saturday against the 9-2 Nanaimo Pirates and Sunday with the 8-3 Parksville Royals.