Truro Bearcats

Despite making four errors, the Dry managed to top Kentville thanks to a three-run rally in the eighth. Darren Doucette hit his second homer of the playoffs and 16th of the year. Dartmouth 201 001 030 - 7 9 4 Kentville 200 020 000 - 4 7 0 Alex Sabean, Joel Fuller (0-1)(6), Matt Pearl (8) and Luke Smith; Jason Bailey (1-0) and Mark Weeks. HR: Dart - Darren Doucette (2)

Trevor Zwaan continued the fine pitching performance that he displayed in helping Dartmouth earn a silver medal at nattionals throwing eight strong innings as the Dry went on to down Kentville 8-2 Dartmouth's 14-hit attack was lead by Darren Doucette who had a pair of singles, Greg West with three singles and by Joel Irvine and Ryan Doucette who each added a double and single. Kevin Miller and Todd Benjamin each had three singles to account for all of the Wildcats' hits Kentville 010 000 010 - 2 6 3 Dartmouth 021 220 01x - 8 14 3 Kevin Nichols (0-1), Kevin Daurie (6) and Luke Smith; Trevor Zwaan (1-0), Jim Langer (9) and Mark Weeks. HR: Dart - Darren Doucette (1)

Through the regular season, Truro and Halifax split their series with six close games. The first two games of their playoffs are showing the same evenly matched effort. Jeff Fielding allowed only five hits and two walks while pitching the shutout. Mark Stiner went the distance for Halifax in picking up the loss. The Bearcats squandered a few scoring chances early loading the bases in the first and second with one out, and stranding two more in the third only to come up empty. Truro scored the games only runs in the fourth inning when George Chapman scored from second on a Kevin Matheson two-out single that just eluded Blues' first baseman Brent Cooper. Craig Higgins scored the second run of the inning on the same play when right-fielder Ian Bowers throw to the plate found the Bearcats' dugout. Mark Stiner, who allowed nine walks, had to pitch his way out of trouble through most of the game. Jeff Fielding only had to face 32 batters in the game. Halifax 000 000 000 - 0 5 3 Truro 000 200 000 - 2 5 1 Mark Stiner (0-1) and Craig Cooper, Kevin Andrecyk (4); Jeff Fielding (1-0) and Jason Hoyt.

Batting (min.89 PA) AB R H RBI Ave Darren Doucette, Dart 91 31 41 50 .451 Jamie Vallis, Sac 99 24 40 30 .404 Richie Walcott, Syd 141 31 57 29 .404 Kevin Miller, Kent 145 29 57 29 .393 Geoff MacLellan, Syd 143 34 56 18 .392 Jay Turple, Hfx 116 34 57 38 .388 Cory Christie, Syd 81 19 31 5 .383 Craig Higgins, Tru 126 25 48 25 .381 Russ Grant, Yar 123 26 46 10 .374 Shawn Fuller, Tru 126 32 47 22 .373 Luke Smith, Kent 94 22 35 28 .372 Dave MacMullin, Syd 132 32 49 41 .371 Dave Cowan, Hfx 139 38 51 26 .367 Craig Cooper, Hfx 136 31 49 43 .360 Scott Jeffery, Yar 115 15 41 21 .357 Pat MacLeod, Kent 140 46 50 41 .357 Andrew Williams, Yar 111 21 39 16 .351 Mark Wolfe, Hfx 92 15 32 16 .348 Mark Weeks, Dart 116 31 40 11 .345 Ryan Veinot, Hfx 122 42 42 29 .344 Chris Salsman, Kent 128 38 44 17 .344 Adam Lucas, Sac 121 22 41 13 .339 Todd Benjamin, Kent 127 24 43 26 .339 Hits Kevin Miller, Kent 57 Jay Turple, Hfx 57 Richie Walcott, Syd 57 Geoff MacLellan, Syd 56 Dave Cowan, Hfx 51 Richie Walcott, Syd 51 Pat MacLeod, Kent 50 Craig Cooper, Hfx 49 Dave MacMullin, Syd 49 Craig Higgins, Tru 48 Ian Lockhart, Kent 47 Shawn Fuller, Tru 47 Runs Pat MacLeod, Kent 46 Ryan Veinot, Hfx 42 Chris Salsman, Kent 38 Dave Cowan, Hfx 38 Ian Lockhart, Kent 37 Joel Irvine, Dart 34 Jay Turple, Hfx 34 Geoff MacLellan, Syd 34 RBI Darren Doucette, Dart 50 Craig Cooper, Hfx 43 Pat MacLeod, Kent 41 Dave MacMullin, Syd 41 Jay Turple, Hfx 38 Joel Irvine, Dart 36 Kevin Miller, Kent 33 Greg West, Dart 30 Ian Lockhart, Kent 31 Jamie Vallis, Sac 30 Doubles Craig Cooper, Hfx 15 Kevin Miller, Kent 13 Richie Walcott, Syd 14 Joel Irvine, Dart 12 Billy MacKenzie, Tru 12 Jamie Vallis, Sac 11 Craig Higgins, Tru 12 Jay Turple, Hfx 10 Ryan Veinot, Hfx 10 Curtis Falls, Yar 10 Triples Dave Cowan, Hfx 3 Ryan Veinot, Hfx 3 Julien Dease, Yar 3 Pat MacLeod, Kent 3 Homeruns Darren Doucette, Dar 14 Dave MacMullin, Syd 12 Pat MacLeod, Kent 6 Jamie Vallis, Sac 5 Luke Smith, Kent 5 Craig Cooper, Hfx 4 Greg West, Kent 4 Andrew Williams, Yar 4 Curtis Falls, Yar 4 Todd Benjamin, Kent 4 Stolen Bases Joel Irvine, Dart 21 Pat MacLeod, Kent 17 Craig Higgins, Tru 15 Shawn Fuller, Tru 15 Chris Salsman, Kent 14 Ryan Veinot, Hfx 13 Andrew Williams, Yar 12 Jamie Vallis, Sac 11 Dave Cowan, Hfx 10 Pitching (min. 6 dec.) W L Pct ERA Jason Bailey, Dart 7 2 .778 3.38 Craig Higgins, Tru 7 2 .778 2.93 Sheldon MacDonald 10 3 .769 3.83 Alex Sabean, Kent 5 2 .714 3.47 Jeff Bishop, Kent 5 2 .714 4.85 Shawn Wilson, Syd 7 3 .700 4.04 Kevin Nichols, Kent 4 2 .667 3.53 Mark Stiner, Hfx 7 4 .636 5.78 Wins Sheldon MacDonald, Hfx 10 Jason Bailey, Dart 7 Mark Stiner, Hfx 7 Craig Higgins, Tru 7 Shawn Wilson, Syd 7 Pat MacIntyre, Tru 6 Strikeouts Shawn Wilson, Syd 110 Craig Higgins, Tru 83 Sheldon MacDonald, Hfx 70 Jason Bailey, Dart 59 Colin Jeffery, Yar 54 Jamie Vallis, Sac 52 Saves Curtis Falls, Yar 4 Craig Higgins, Tru 3 Rob Hansen, Sac 2 Craig MacDonald, Hfx 2 Mike Alexander, Dart 2 ERA (min. 30 inn.) Craig Higgins, Tru 2.85 Christopher Levine, Tru 3.07 Jevon Titus, Yar 3.27 Jason Bailey, Dart 3.38 Alex Sabean, Kent 3.47 Curtis Falls, Yar 3.52 Kevin Nichols, Kent 3.53 Innings Pitched Sheldon MacDonald, Hfx 101 Adam Doiron, Sac 86.1 Mark Stiner, Hfx 84.1 Shawn Wilson, Syd 78 Chad Sawlor, Dart 76 Colin Jeffery, Yar 75 Craig Higgins, Tru 72.2 Jason Bailey, Dart 72 Travis MacQuarrie, Syd 71 Jamie Vallis, Sac 66.1 Kevin Nichols, Kent 66.1 Jeff Bsihop, Kent 66

Craig Higgins brought his 'A' game to Halifax. Truro's right-hander who had a no-hitter against Dartmouth a couple weeks ago, carried a two-hitter through eight innings and pitched out of a jam in the nineth to give Truro the win of the series opener. With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the nineth, Truro loaded the bases. Pat MacIntyre batting in place of Kevin Matheson, who had been ejected from the game in the bottom of the seventh, dropped a surprise bunt to squeeze the go ahead run across the plate. Craig MacDonald came in to relieve Sheldon MacDonald, who had scattered 6 hits through eight, and gave up a two-run double to Shawn Fuller to spot Truro to a 5-2 lead. Halifax loaded the bases in their half of the nineth. Mark Wolfe hit a deep fly to right centre that was tracked down by right-fielder John Smith before he crashed into the fence to take away an extra base hit from the Blue's designated-hitter. The fly was good enough to score a run but that was all that Halifax would manage. Shawn Fuller was a homerun shy of the cycle while driving in three runs. Truro 100 010 003 - 5 9 1 Halifax 010 001 001 - 3 4 0 Higgins (1-0) and Jason Hoyt; Sheldon MacDonald (0-1), Craig MacDonald (9) and Craig Cooper.