A three-game win streak has pushed to North Delta Blue Jays to within a pair of games of first place in the B.C. Premier Baseball League.
The Blue Jays won twice (4-3, 9-4) against the defending champion Langley Blaze Saturday at Mackie Park, then defeated the last-place White Rock Tritons 5-3 Tuesday night.
North Delta has a 7-2 (won-loss) record, just a game-and-a-half back of the 12-4 Okanagan Athletics of Kelowna.
In the first game against the Blaze Saturday, the Jays blew a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning, then came from behind in extra innings for the win.
After Langley tied the game 2-2, they went ahead 3-2 with an unearned run in the top of the eighth inning. Clint Taylor belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to pull the Jays even. North Delta got the win in the ninth when Dylan Dahl hit a lead-off single then scored on an error.
Blue Jays starting pitcher Daniel Gosselin had a strong outing, throwing six innings and allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out 10 batters and walking just one.
Tyler Hoefer earned the win in relief with three strikeouts in as many innings. The only run he allowed was unearned.
Mackenzie Marquis and Braeden Miller were the top batters, each with three hits. Taylor had a pair of runs batted in (RBIs).
Taylor took to the mound in the second game, and held Langley to four earned runs on six hits and a pair of walks.
His teammates gave him plenty of run support, making the most of 10 hits and six walks. Dylan Dahl, Trevor Gentles and Lucas Naidu each had a pair of hits, with Logan Newman collecting three RBIs.
North Delta was outhit 10-8 but still got a win Tuesday in South Surrey. Taylor was again a standout, going three-for-four at the plate with a run scored. Noah Or added a single, a double and a run scored.
Alex Davis was the winning pitcher, entering the game in the second inning with North Delta trailing 3-1 and leaving with the Jays holding a two-run lead.
The Jays are idle until May 17, when they will be hosting the Abbotsford Cardinals for two games at Mackie Park.
