WINDSOR, N.S. — In any sport, it feels great to be all alone at the top of the standings.
However, that just makes the target on your back even bigger, and teams start to adjust to your game. It’s not easy to maintain the top seed all season, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Adam Ferguson and the Windsor Knights intermediate baseball team know all about what it takes to climb to the top and stay there.
Ferguson, the right-handed pitcher and left-handed batter, has been a big contributor to the Knight’s early success. In his last three starts, he’s pitched 17 innings and given up only 2 runs.
“Our team had a very fortunate start to this season,” says Ferguson. “We started off with an 8-0 run and since then we’ve still been going pretty strong. Right now our record is 11-4, but all those loses we were capable of winning, so we’re confident we can keep improving.”
The Knights currently sit atop the standings by a mere 3 points, but they’re carrying momentum off their last home game and plan to widen the gap between them and second place.
“A major factor to our success all season has been our consistent pitching. I’ve been feeling great on the mound all season and it’s translated into wins for our team. Our other pitchers have been playing just as well. It just feels like everything has been going right out there,” Ferguson said.
Not far behind are the Sherose Island Schooners, who are pushing for that top spot. They won their last game 14-3, and Ferguson says if they’re going to compete, they need to get their own offense going.
“Our batting is starting to come around. Lately we’ve been seeing some good swings from our lineup. As a pitcher, having that strong offense really helps take the pressure off in the later innings. Once that falls into place, we should be able to build up a win streak again.”
The Valley's only other team, the Hantsport Shamrocks, folded their team this season, making the Knights the last team in the Valley. The Shamrocks and the Knights had a strong rivalry, however in their absence Ferguson says that no other rivalries have developed for the Knights.
“It’s too bad about the Shamrocks. They were a fantastic team and the games were always thrilling to play. It’s a big loss to the league for sure,” Ferguson commented.
The Knights play their next game in Amherst against the Noel Road Jays. The following weekend, the Knights host the Pictou County Royals at Tremaine Crescent.
