LET'S PLAY BALL

After having five games cancelled due to weather conditions the Royals 18U team finally got their 2011 PBLO season underway by taking two out of four games from the Terriers 17U.
The Royals started the season on the right foot with a 7-4 win lead by the excellent pitching of Paul Anderson who pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing two runs, both unearned, on four hits, four walks and three Ks and left the game with a 7-2 lead. Anderson was relieved by Alex Mann who went the rest of the way securing a 7-4 win for the Royals. The Royals offense started the season with a bang scoring five runs in the first inning on four hits and left the bases loaded. They added two more runs in the second inning which was more than enough for their first win. The offensive stars of the game were, catcher Matthew McCue with two singles, two runs scored and two rbi;  short stop Daryl Taube with a double, a single and a run scored and Jeff Slasor with two singles and a walk. Dolan Dunigan joined in with a two rbi single, Daniel Campos had a rbi single and Jonathan Del Pozo had a single to go with his run scored. Joshua Lee-Him scored two runs and Kaleb Mariano Leff also chipped in by throwing out a runner at home from left field. He also walked and later scored a run
The second game was marked by 14 man left on base by the Royals team which ended up costing them the game and the excellent pitching performance of Dolan Dunigan. Dunigan relieved Brendan Ellingham, who had started the game, with one out in the third and trailing 5-2. Dolan pitched 3 2/3 innings allowing only one earned run on two hits while striking out 7 and walking only one. The Royals managed a total of five hits. Daniel Campos got on base 4 times with two singles and two walks; Jeff Slasor had a rbi single and scored a run; Jonathan Del Pozo had a single and a walk and Justin Zealand found his way to first base three times by being hit by a pitch twice and with a single.
On Mother's Day the Royals travelled to Dickson Park in Cambridge to continue their battle with the Terriers on a beautiful sunny day. Just has they had done in the first game the previous day, the Royals started very well with 3 runs in the top of the first inning and scored in every inning except the third and fifth including two runs in the top of the seventh to break a 6-6 tie and give the Royals their second win of the season and made Joe Brown the winning pitcher.
John Bryce made his first start as a Royal and went 4 1/3 innings allowing 5 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks and 3 Ks. Joe Brown pitched the rest of the fifth and the sixth inning allowing a run on 2 hits, a walk and 2 Ks. Graeme McCarrel pitched a scoreless seventh for the save. Just as in the first game of the season, the Royals had 9 hits with McCue, Leff and Taube leading the way. McCue continued his hot hitting with a double and a single to go along with a run scored and  3 rbi. Leff scored 3 times, had 2 singles and made an outstanding catch in left field. Taube had a rbi double, a single and scored a run. Del Pozo added an rbi single, a walk and a run scored; Dunigan had a single in his first at bat of the game but was left at first when Del Pozo was thrown out at home trying to score.
The final game of the series was a well fought game where the difference were two unearned runs allowed by the Royals. The Royals offense managed only 3 runs on 6 hits and fell 2 runs short. McCue continued to be the offensive star with two more hits and a walk. Jeff Slasor added to his good weekend at the plate with another double and 2 runs scored and Adam Shaver chipped in with a double. Logan Karse hit an rbi single and Del Pozo added an rbi single and a run scored.
Arsene Pinguelo started for the Royals and pitched 5 strong innings allowing one earned run on 2 hits, five walks and 5 Ks. Pinguelo was relieved by Kyle Flemington who pitched the sixth inning allowing two runs on 3 hits.
The Royals will face Niagara on Tuesday night before a weekend series with the Ontario Blue Jays.