The White Rock Tritons picked up their fourth win of the BC Premier Baseball League season Tuesday, thanks in large part to pitcher Keaton Edwards.
Edwards – who will play ball next season at George Fox University in Oregon – was nearly unhittable against the Reds, allowing just two hits, while striking out a season-high 12 batters. He walked six, but allowed just one run, which came in the seventh inning when Coquitlam’s Riley Leoppky tripled, and later scored on a single.
Coquitlam’s pitchers were nearly as good, allowing just three White Rock hits over seven innings.
White Rock, meanwhile, took the lead in the first inning when leadoff batter Dawson Veeneman singled, stole second base, and then scored after an error by the Reds’ catcher.
The game remained 1-0 until the third frame, when Veeneman walked and scored three batters later.
The win improved the Tritons’ record to 4-18, and moved them out of the basement of the PBL standings; They sit 11th out 12 teams, ahead of the Parksville Royals, who are 2-9 and have played half the number of games as most other teams thus far this season.
Last Friday, White Rock dropped a pair of games to the Whalley Chiefs, losing the opening tilt 9-1 before falling 5-4 in the nightcap, despite a last-inning comeback attempt.
In the latter contest, White Rock trailed 5-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh, when Bailey Roope – who reached base on a fielder’s choice – scored on a single from Thomas Vincent.
The next batter, Patrick van den Brink, walked, leaving the Tritons with runners on first and second base, but Whalley pitcher Thomas Espig struck out the next batter to preserve the one-run victory.
Espig proved difficult for the Tritons to solve, striking out 11 batters.
White Rock returns to action Saturday afternoon, when they host Coquitlam for a pair of games at noon and 2:30 p.m., respectively. On Thursday, they’ll host the North Delta Blue Jays.