Premier Royals get key performances but struggle in the win column  

The Save-On-Foods Parksville Royals faced a tough test with 4 games on the road this weekend and while there were positives to take away, when all was said and done they couldn’t get in the win column.

Saturday morning found the boys in purple down at Lambrick Park in Victoria to face the Eagles.  Jacob Volkers got the start in game 1 and was looking to carry the momentum from his complete game no-hitter last Sunday in Parksville.  Volkers scattered 8 hits over 6 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs.  Volkers, in his final season with the Royals, leads the team with an ERA of 2.16 and sits 7th in the league overall.  But you need offense to win and the bats couldn’t get hot as the Royals mustered only 3 hits on the way to a 3-0 loss.

In game 2, hard-throwing right-hander Nolan Macdonald got the start and brought his A game.  Macdonald struck out 4 over 5 innings of work, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned.  Brodie Comerford came on to throw a clean inning in relief and once again the team from Parksville got full value from its pitching staff.  Macdonald, Comerford, and Trevor Nicoll led the way at the plate each going 2 for 3 but couldn’t string the hits together to get enough runs.  Final score Royals 1 and Eagles 2.

On Sunday the Royals were in Langley to face the Blaze and after dropping the first game, they looked to salvage a split with rookie Anson McGorman on the hill for game 2.  McGorman hung tough against a hard-hitting opponent and the score was tied at 3 after 4 innings.   McGorman’s final line was 5 innings with 4 strike-outs and 6 earned runs against.  At the dish, McGorman helped his own cause with a 2-RBI single.  Connor Hall and Trevor Nicoll each contributed with a hit and stolen base apiece.  Final score Royals 3 and Blaze 6.

Junior Royals battle short-handed  

The Save-On-Foods Parksville Junior Royals hosted the Okanagan Athletics for a 4-game series at Springwood Park this past weekend.  The Royals went in to the match-ups missing three key pitchers and they knew they were in for tough sledding. 

Nathan Underhill opened the series on the bump for Parksville and scattered 5 hits over 5 innings of work.  The Athletics made the most of their opportunities, however, and managed 4 runs against Underhill.  The bullpen struggled and the visitors tacked on 4 more runs in the 6th and 7th.  On offense Underhill went 2 for 3 with a run scored as did centerfielder Cody Jackson.  That was all the boys in purple could generate and they fell 8-2.

Game 2 saw Trevor Carter’s first start of the season following his strong performance out of the bullpen earlier in the season.  Carter threw strikes in his 4 innings of work and gave up 4 runs, 1 earned.  Kevin Mulrooney came on in relief and couldn’t solve the Okanagan offense, giving up 5 earned runs in 2 innings.  The Parksville bats generated 11 hits and Owen Crouse led the way with a single, a double, 2 RBI and a run scored.   Third basemen Cameron Bell went 2 for 3 and Cody Jackson banged a double and scored a run.  Final score Royals 4 and Athletics 9.

Sunday morning the boys in purple dropped game 1 and started game 2 in 4-run hole after the first inning.  Bantam call-up Tyler Kolopenuk took the hill in the 2nd inning and proceeded to throw 5 innings of 1-run ball in his first work on the 90 foot diamond.  But Kolopenuk’s heroics weren’t limited to his pitching.  With the bases loaded in the 5th, Kolopenuk delivered a clutch double down the right-field line to score 3 runs and bring the home side even.  The grade 9 player finished his Junior League debut going 2 for 3 with 3 RBI and 3 walks.  The Athletics would put one more run across and this time the Royals had no answer as they dropped the finale by a score of 6-5.

Up Next:

The Junior Royals will host the Battle of the Rock tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Springwood Park.  Games start at 11 on Saturday morning and the concession opens at 10:30.