Sarnia Outlasts Strathroy 10-8 on the Road, News (Sarnia Brigade Minor Baseball Association)

Game Report: Sarnia 10-8 Strathroy

It was a back and forth affair at Royals Field on Saturday as Nick Baljeu took the hill for the Brigade against an unbeaten Strathroy squad in Southwestern League action.

Julian Service led the game off with a shot to the centerfield wall for a triple in a precursor of the offensive battle that was to come. Second baseman Justin Randall, in his first action of 2022, knocked in Service with a SAC fly to centerfield to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Brennan Healy would score on a wild pitch in the second inning and it was 2-0 Sarnia after their half.

Strathroy would tie things up in the second at 2-2 and take a one-run lead in the third. Baljeu would hold them down after that, working five innings and striking out six.

Sarnia would tie the game at three each in the fourth as McKenzie Maxwell would come into score on a Brad Hill RBI single. The Brigade would add two more in the fifth. Keegan Brandon and Mike Damchuk would both walk to start the frame off. Healy would single to load the bases and a couple RBI groundballs up the middle from Maxwell and Eric Steeves would plate a pair. Sarnia would tack on another run in the sixth with Randall scoring on a Brandon base hit. It was 6-3 Brigade heading into the bottom of the inning.

The home side came out hot in sixth, putting together 7 hits in the inning including three homeruns, two of which taking advantage of the 322 foot power alley in right field. The first hitters of the inning would cross home plate as Strathroy took an 8-6 lead into the top of the seventh.

But, the Brigade would battle back once more. Healy connected for a deep double into left center to start things off with Steeves then coming through with a sharp shot past the Strathroy shortstop for a single. Hill continued his solid play with a 2-RBI double down the right field line to tie the game. The next two hitters would walk to load the bases for Sarnia.

Brandon came to the plate with two out and bases loaded and was clutch as he singled to right field, scoring Hill and Randall for a 10-8 lead.

That was all the scoring Sarnia would need as Damchuk would settle in on the mound and throw three shutout innings for the win.

Sarnia travels to St. Mary’s this afternoon for a doubleheader against the Lakeside Tigers. Derek Masse and Alex McLean are scheduled to start for the Brigade.