Righting the ship
The Belfast Northstars 2017 season hasn't exactly been the smoothest run so far; injuries and the loss of players to the Ulster team has limited the options for Sean Shackley as the Hydebank based team attempts to defend its title. A tough loss to the Mariners and a rough day in Corkagh with two heavy losses to the Hurricanes, the Northstars were definitely looking forward to the ever-improving field at Hydebank and some home comforts. Their co-residents, the Buccaneers, stood in their way.
In game one, the Bucs would strike first, giving their starter Darwin Sanchez, a 1-0 lead to protect. Missing a couple of their base stealing threats in Chris Barr and David Mundarain, it would be a different style of baseball that they would have to implement to get past the Northstars and Gord Cuthbert. In one of his few outings for the Stars this year, Melvin Woods quickly made his presence felt, driving home Chris Shields to get the reigning champions on the board. Having made his way round to third, a balk by the Bucs starter would see Woods get home himself to nudge his team ahead.
The next six innings would be punctuated by great defence, the Northstars outfield in particular showing supreme range with Kevin O'Hare, Nate Heater and Jason Scott all taking turns to flash the leather (also including one incident where O'Hare and Heater showed a little too much determination). Heater would continue his impressive rookie campaign, being driven in by his pitcher in the fifth to add another precious run.
The Bucs fought back in the sixth, loading the bases with two out but Cuthbert successfully worked out of the jam and an inning later, strode off the mound with an impressive win, 3-1 the final.
Missing a few of their pitchers, game two saw Casper Coffie take the ball for the men in maroon and much like Cuthbert in game one, found himself working out of a bases loaded situation before drawing a walk himself against Kleiver Sanchez in the bottom of the inning to put the Stars on the board. First baseman Stephen Rogan would draw a walk himself to double the lead. John McKee added a single and the subsequent dead ball made it 4-0 and the skipper Shackley grounded out but another RBI would follow. Adding two more in the third pulled the lead out to 7-0 before the Bucs scrapped one back. By that time however, the Stars had their tails up and the onslaught of runs that followed saw the game called in the fourth, 21-1.
The Stars will take heart from the two wins, hoping that the victories will jump-start what has been, by their own now high standards, a lacklustre beginning. With more home games and help on the way, the Belfast side need to set down some markers as the middle of the season approaches.
