BY JOHN DECOSTE
Kings County Advertiser/Register
The Kentville senior Wildcats needed a top performance from Corey Kent in their NSSBL contest July 27 in Halifax and he gave it to them.
Kent threw a complete-game four hitter and his teammates supported him with seven runs on nine hits as the Wildcats snapped a four-game losing skid with a much needed 7-2 win.
After the teams swapped single runs in the first inning, Kentville added two in the second and put the game away with a four-run seventh. Halifax’s second and final run came in the third inning.
Mike Lockhart led the Wildcats’ offense with a single and double and three RBI. Ryan Pearl added two singles and a triple and scored two runs, while Les Berry contributed an RBI double.
Ryan Veinot supplied much of the Halifax offense with two singles, two runs scored and three stolen bases.
The win improved Kentville’s season record to 6-13, and while time is running down in the NSSBL regular season, the Wildcats remained in the hunt for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Entering play this past weekend, the Wildcats sat 6.5 games behind first-place Dartmouth (11-5), but more importantly, only one game behind fourth-place Truro (6-11) with the Bearcats having two games in hand.
Kentville is 0-3 against Truro so far this season, but also has four games remaining against the Bearcats, a doubleheader August 7 in Truro and a doubleheader August. 15 in Kentville.
The Wildcats also had three games remaining against Halifax (including this past Saturday at Memorial Park) and two against Dartmouth, August. 4 at Kentville and the make-up of a July 14 rainout, also set for Kentville.
According to NSSBL stats released July 28, Curtis Falls sat tied for seventh in the batting race with a .351 average. Ian Lockhart was ninth at .349 and Mike Lockhart was 13th at .333.
Falls also led the league with nine doubles – just ahead of Mike Lockhart’s seven – and was among the leaders in hits with 26 and runs scored with 17.
Jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca
