The B.C. Premier Baseball League playoffs lasted the minimum for the Whalley Chiefs.
Coming off a 21-23 regular season, the Chiefs were on Vancouver Island to play the 29-15 Nanaimo Pirates in a best-of-three quarterfinal series.
The Pirates eliminated the Chiefs in straight games Saturday, winning a close 2-1 decision in the first before completing the sweep with a 7-2 victory in the second, eliminating the need for a deciding game Sunday.
Whalley’s best chance to get a victory, and at a minimum extend the series to Sunday, came in the first game. Isaac Greer threw a solid two-hitter for the Chiefs, allowing one earned run on two hits and four walks while striking out nine Nanaimo batters.
The two Nanaimo hits came in the bottom of the fifth inning, when a single and a double scored the game-winning run.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, putting a man on base with a two-out error, then allowing him to score on a second miscue.
The Chiefs tied the score in the third inning. Brenden Gerbert hit a lead-off single, moved to second on a base hit by Matt Legg, then scored on a single buy Lucas Soper.
Pirates pitching and a six-run fourth inning decided the second game and send Nanaimo into the PBL’s Final Four playoff next weekend.
The home team held a slim 1-0 lead going into the fourth, when they sent 11 batters to the plate and scored the half-dozen runs on a single, two doubles, a triple and a walk.
The only two Chiefs runs came in the bottom of the sixth, when Lachlan Hunter scored on a sacrifice fly by Lichel Hirakawa-Kao and Legg was force home when Zach Chaba drew a bases loaded walk.
Despite bowing out of the playoffs in straight games, the Chiefs improved over the previous season when they went 18-30 in league play and missed the playoffs by two games.
