The Thetford Blue Sox had a tough day Sunday being defeated twice. They lost 12-0 in their first game against the Castors of Acton Vale and 10-7 against the Pirates of Jean-sur-Richelieu. This second meeting had however started well for the Blue Sox who scored three runs in the opening inning, before seeing the locals take advantage of two errors to tie the game in their first turn at bat.
It all came crashing down for the Sox in the bottom of the fourth when the Pirates took the lead with a four-point push on questionable play. “It all happened when we let ourselves down after an error by the referee. A foul ball that turned into a triple. In addition to being fake, the ball went to the asphalt and when it does, it’s an automatic double. The guys reacted badly to that and we crashed instead of getting up,” said coach Renaud Desjardins on this second setback of the day.
Earlier in Acton Vale, the Blue Sox were limited to three singles by gunner Bryan Corona and suffered a 12-0 loss. “Corona launched very well, you have to give him the credit. He took advantage of the official giving him his outside shots and shot there the entire game. We were missing three of our best hitters who are one, two and three in the lineup and when those three players aren’t there at the same time, it hurts,” the Sox coach noted.
Yannick Desbiens, twice, and Dany Girard were the only ones to strike from a safe place.
VICTORY OVER THE BROCK
The Blue Sox began their weekend with a 7-2 win over the Drummondville Brock, who suffered their ninth loss in as many games. “It was a match that we couldn’t afford to miss. Nobody wants to be the first team in the league to lose against Drummondville, especially when you’re first in the standings,” mentioned Renaud Desjardins.
On the mound, Michel Simard was solid even if he had to make more than 110 shots to dispose of the opponent. “They put a lot of runners on the trails and they were putting the ball in play. At some point they kind of got more aggressive and my pitch count got a little bit lower. They were able to take good swings and defend well, but the important thing is to win. »
The Gunner, who put 13 batters in the dust, admitted the Brock are counting on a good offense. “They have a good batting club and they were on the ball the whole game. It’s more on the mound where they have deficiencies, but at bat they’re a lot more solid than last year when they arrived in the league. They put the ball in play and should not be taken lightly. »
FOUR MATCHES IN FIVE DAYS
The next week will be grueling to say the least for the Blue Sox with four games in five days. After a stop in Shawinigan on Wednesday, they will play two games in Drummondville and Sherbrooke on Canada Day on Friday. They will be back at Desjardins Stadium to host the Acton Vale Castors on Sunday.
Renaud Desjardins recognizes that it will not be easy. “It’s a tough schedule for us this week. Wednesday in Shawinigan, we will arrive with our three starters who have just pitched. It will be a week where we will have to roll up our sleeves and find ways to win. »
