CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Shawn Bartley’s sacrifice fly in the eighth inning Tuesday scored the winning run as the Moncton Fisher Cats defeated the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders 3-2 in New Brunswick Senior Baseball League action.
The Fishers Cats had the bases loaded when Bartley stepped up and drove a ball to centre field. It easily scored Lance VanNoy from third, but Taylor Larkin gunned down Serge Vautour trying to advance from second base for the rare F8, 8-5 double play. It was one of two assists for Larkin on the evening.
VanNoy led off the eighth with a double to the right-centre field gap off reliever Jake Beck. Vautour walked and Steven Johnson hit a single off import shortstop Kody Matthews glove to load the bases.
The Fisher Cats improved to 6-8 on the season, including 3-1 against the Islanders, who fall to 5-11.
Moncton opened the scoring in the third inning when Justin Cormier’s ground ball to third plated Philip Rail.
The Islanders got it back in their half of the inning when Matthews led off with a double and Dillon Doucette smashed a two-run home run to left field.
VanNoy led off the top of the fourth with a solo homer to right to tie the game.
Starters Jordan Stevenson (Charlottetown) and Sam Lund (Moncton) didn't figured into the decision.
Lund allowed two runs on five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out eight.
Johnson earned the victory, allowing one hit in two innings while striking out three and issuing one free pass.
Stevenson gave up two runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two. Beck was tagged with the loss after allowing a run on two hits and a walk in the eighth inning.
VanNoy went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Rail also went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Johnson, Bartley, Maxime Ruel and Kyle Jewell each added a single.
Matthews was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored while Doucette was 2-for-2 with double, a homer, two walks and a run scored. Logan Gallant and Grant Grady each added a single.
The Islanders head to Saint John, N.B., Saturday to play the Alpines. Game 1 of the doubleheader is slated to start at 2 p.m.
