It’s a modest win streak, but was a win streak nonetheless.
Last week, for the first time all season, the White Rock Tritons strung together back-to-back victories – both against the Coquitlam Reds.
On May 19 at Coquitlam’s Mackie Park, the Tritons snuck by the home side with a 2-1 win, and then last Saturday, in the first game of a doubleheader at South Surrey Athletic Park, won again, this time by a 7-4 score.
In the second game Saturday, the Reds got a measure of revenge, edging White Rock 6-5.
The Tritons sit at the bottom of the BC Premier Baseball League with a 5-19 win-loss record.
In the May 19 one-run victory, Keaton Edwards struck out 12 to lead the Tritons, but it was the team’s offence that lead the charge in the second win.
White Rock – playing with U16 junior players Dawson Gray and Jeremy Kelleway in the starting lineup – scored in each of the first two innings, to jump out to a 3-0 lead, then added one more in the fourth and three in the sixth to earn the win.
Leadoff hitter Dawson Veeneman walked twice and had two runs-batted-in, while Gray, playing right field, went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. Despite scoring seven runs, Bailey Roope had the Tritons’ only extra-base hit, a double in a fourth.
Patrick van den Brink earned the win on the mound, striking out nine Coquitlam batters while allowing just six hits and two earned-runs.
In the second game of the doubleheader, White Rock was one inning away from extending the win streak to three games, but the Reds, down 5-4 heading into the final frame, scored twice in the seventh inning to steal the win.
First baseman/designated hitter Tom Melenchuk – among the team’s home-run leaders last season – went 1-for-5 with two RBI. The six-foot-three power hitter has played in just eight games this season due to injury.
Gray had three of the team’s seven hits and Janssen Crossley also had two RBI.