Although the Quesnel Jacks dropped the middle game of their best-of-three quarter-final series against the Westwood Sports Pub Predators Friday night in Prince George, they have advanced to the semi-finals.
The Jacks entered the Friday night game under the lights leading the series 1-0.
Going into the top of the fourth inning, the Jacks trailed the Predators 10-5 after giving up eight runs in the first inning and singles in the second and third inning.
“I struggled with the strike zone,” starting pitcher Randy Enns said.
“I haven’t played that many games lately.”
The Jacks made a game of it with a four-run effort in the top of the fourth inning, thanks in large part to back-to-back doubles that punched three runs across the plate.
“We fought back and came close,” Enns said of the four-run inning that saw Greg Jorgenson and Will Quarry come up with timely hits.
Unfortunately, the Predators had a 10-run effort in the bottom half of the fourth to take a 20-9 lead that the Jacks could not surmount in the top of the fifth, after which the teams shook hands and called it a game.
The game could have been closer, but a strong start to the third inning was quashed by the infield umpire.
Joey McDonald led the inning off with a triple but the infield umpire said McDonald had not touched first base. The Predators threw the ball to first base and McDonald was called out.
Despite the loss, the Jacks have advanced to the semi-finals.
The Predators fielded a handful of ineligible players for Friday night’s game.
The Jacks filed a protest with the Prince George Senior Men’s Baseball League and the Predators had to forfeit the game.
The win puts the Jacks back on the diamond at Citizen Field in Prince George this week against an as yet determined opponent.
