RHYS CASLEY EN FUEGO, BLASTS TWO MORE HOME RUNS
[JARVIS, ONTARIO] – Close to 300 fans turned out on Monday night to catch the kick-off of the New Zealand Blacksox tour of Ontario. Under clear skies, the fans were treated to two well played games.
Game 1:
New Zealand – 5
Jarvis – 0
WP- Jeremy Manley (with relief from Michael Gaiger)
LP- Brian Urquhart (with relief from Andrew Phibbs)
New Zealand broke a scoreless tie in the top of the 4th when Rhys Casley hit a solo HR. Patrick Shannon followed with a solo HR of his own in the 5th. After a Brad Rona walk, Casley hit his 2nd HR of the game to make the score 4-0. Stacy McLean scored on a fielder’s choice to round out the scoring. Manley and Gaiger combined strike out 12 and give up 1 hit. Urquhart allowed 8 hits and struck out six in his 4-1/3 innings. Phibbs gaveup three hits and struck out two.
Game 2:
New Zealand – 2
Jarvis – 3
WP- Scott Wagar
LP- Heinie Shannon (in relief of Gaiger)
The Blacksox struck first with a pair of runs in the firstinning on a walk to Nathan Nukunuku, an RBI triple by Travis Wilson and a FC byPatrick Shannon. Jarvis responded with a run in the bottom of the second ona HR by Brad Robinson. New Zealand threatened in the 4th inningwhen Brad Rona and Casley singled with one out. After a McLeanfly-out, Milne singled to center but Brad Rona was thrown out with a collisionat the plate on what was scored an 8-3-4-2 put out at home. Jarvisreplied in the bottom of the fifth to win the game with a pair of runs. Rino Dambrosio singled on a misplayed pop-up that landed between three Blacksoxplayers. Chad Staats followed with a single to RF to put runners at firstand second. Bob Gillow then hit a high chopper to SS to load the baseswith none out. CF Bill Simmons then hit a 2-1 pitch to center fielddriving in two runs to end the game.
Rhys Casley was hot on the night with four hits for the Blacksox. Pat Graham went 2 for 2 in the second game and Bill Simmons hada pair of hits on the night for the Merchants.
The executive of the Jarvis Merchants would like to thank all the fans, sponsors and the Black Sox for their attendance and support on Monday night.
Clarke Staats
cstaats6@hotmail.com
Editor’s note: Rhys Casley continued the home run barrage he started last month in the Bahamas, where he hit 6 HR’s in 3 days. (Was it the fried conch?) Casley added two more in the opening round exhibition games for the visiting New Zealand Black Sox. Photo of Casley below, while in uniform for the Bahamas’ Texaco Pirates at the 2007 Bahamas Invitational.
