AMHERST – The Amherst Athletics rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat the Moncton Cubs 14-13 in exhibition bantam AA baseball action at the Robb Centennial Complex on Tuesday.
Julian MacDonald homered for Amherst in the win while Jeremiah Martin singled and tripled, Matt Hunter tripled and Madden Miller and Ethan Casey each doubled.
Jayden Matheson and Kalen Burke each singled.
Madden Miller, Jeremiah Martin and Declan LeBlanc pitched for Amherst, giving up 12 hits, walking five and striking out four.
The Athletics split a Bluenose League doubleheader with the Clark’s Harbour Foggies on Sunday at the Robb Complex, winning the opener 6-3 before dropping the second game 11-0.
In the opener, Jayden Matheson tripled and Matt Hunter doubled twice as the Athletics jumped out to an early lead over a tough Foggies team.
Madden Miller, Nate Campbell and Kalen Burke each singled once. Ethan Casey gave up four hits, walked three and struck out 12 to earn the win while Madden Miller picked up the save.
The Foggies scored seven runs in the sixth in the second game to earn the shutout win with Ryan Rideout singling for the only Amherst hit off Ethan Shand.
Jayden Matheson and Jeremiah Martin pitched for Amherst.
On Saturday, the Athletics rallied from an early 5-0 lead to tie the score before surrendering the winning run in the seventh in an 8-7 loss to the Nova Scotia Under-16 Girls team that includes Springhill players Avery Smith and Alaina Porter.
Smith drove in the winning run for the girls’ squad with a sharp single down the left field line in the top of the seventh.
Ethan Casey singled twice for Amherst with Julian MacDonald hitting a triple, Matt Hunter chipping in a double and Jayden Matheson and Mattix McBurnie each adding singles.
Julian MacDonald, Matt Hunter and Declan LeBlanc pitched for Amherst, giving up nine hits, walking four and striking out six.
The Athletics, who two weeks ago won a bantam AA tournament in Bridgewater with a 9-7 win over the Hants North Blue Jays, have been awarded the 2018 Baseball Atlantic Bantam AA Championship Tournament.
The tournament will feature the top eight teams from Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia vying for the Atlantic championship.
The tournament runs Sept. 14 to 16 at the Robb Centennial Complex.
Amherst last won the Atlantic title in 2013. It also won bronze at the 2007 tournament.
