League play continued in the Rick McDonald Memorial Fastball League on Thursday night at the Lorne Brady Memorial Park in Garson . In the opener the Sudbury North Stars continued their onslaught in the hitting department as well as ion scoring . The North Stars scored 4 runs in the opening frame then  added another 11 in the final three innings on their way to their second victory of the season with a 15-7 thrashing over the Swick Hounds of Garson . John Ainslie (2-0) went the distance once more scattering 12 hits ,striking out three batters ,issuing 3 base on balls and  giving up 6 earned runs while his counterpart Gary “GNUâ€Â Lamothe (0-2) suffered his second defeat on 21 hits , 5 strike outs and  0 base on balls . Curtis Hambley and Lanny Fichette led the way for the winners both going 3 for 5 at the dish and both hitting two home runs while Dan Quesnel hit 3 for 4 in a losing cause for the Swick Hounds .

                                                            In the nightcap , the Whitefish Lake First Nation Falcons had a complete resversaL from their first game as led by Troy Nootchtai’s two hitter they blanked the Pickerel River Cardinals  9-0 . Nootchtai did not issue a single walk and only faced 17 batters in his five innings of work(the game was called after five because of the 7 run mercy rule ).  Jonathan Contin (0-2) started for the Cardinals , was tagged with loss and was relieved in the fourth by Percy Tobobunbung (0-0) .Both pitchers combined to give up  8 hits , strike out 11 batters and issue but one single base on balls . Brendon Biederman and Justin Nootchtai led the way for the Falcons both hitting 2 for 3 with teammates Owen Peltier and Troy Nootchtai  chipping in with each a home (solo for Owen and a two run shot for Troy ) while Bobby Decosse hit 1 for 1 in a losing cause for the Cardinals .

                                                               Play resumes this evening with a doubleheader at the Rick McDonald Memorial Park in Azilda when the Cardinals take on the North Stars at 7 PM followed by the nightcap under the lights where the Swick Hounds face the Falcons ..

                                                               After one week of action the standings read as follows : North Stars 2-0;Cardinals and Falcons at 1 and 1 followed by the 4th place Swick Hounds at 0-2 .John Ainslie of the North Stars is the top pitcher at 2-0 while Terry Hutchke of the same North Stars leads all hitters with 5 hits in 8 appearances for a  625 average .

                                                               Ladies fastball on several fronts (Downie ,Sturgeon Falls and Twin Forks) get their 2011 season underway for Bantams,Midgets and Ladies .

 

Keep fit !  See you on the fastball diamonds !

 

             Roger Legendre        league head statistician as well as public relations liaison/advisor