It just wasn't the B&B Diggers' night when they took on the Royals as part of the Howe Sound Men's Fastball League make-up games on Tuesday (July 24).
The Diggers lost 8-1 after the mercy rule was invoked - if one team is up seven or more runs after the fifth - in the sixth inning.
The night started out with Diggers' player Dan Stuart sitting out the game due to knee surgery and an injured elbow.
The Royals opened the scoring and gave a hint of the hot bats that were to swing all night when Bob Verluis hit a single and sent Adam Greiner home, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead.
The bottom of the second saw the Royals blow open the game, beginning with a single by Shane Haliday. Then Tack Lee whipped out a single of his own and Haliday advanced to third.
With runners on the corners, Kenny Webb followed suit with his own single and loaded the bases for Adam Greiner, who would capitalize on the situation.
Greiner ripped a massive triple, the biggest hit of the game, and sent all three runners home, upping the score to 4-0 for the Royals.
Kevin Schellenberg got the only hit for the Diggers in the top of the third inning, and more trouble was on the way from the Royals.
Derek Marshell's triple put him in perfect position for when Jett Lee stepped up and sent the ball flying for a RBI single. The Diggers put a stop to the Royals offence when Tack Lee was thrown out at first, but went into the fourth trailing the Royals 5-0.
It was in the fourth inning that the Diggers finally got on the scoreboard. Kevin Naswell's leadoff single was followed by two fly-outs from Eric Normand and Michel Lafreniere. Terry Patterson's single sent Naswell to third, and then Naswell stole home. But that would be all the Diggers could manage.
A pitching change in the bottom of the fourth saw Kevin Naswell take over for Ken Hall, but the Royals would continue to score. Kenny Webb hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on an error to Diggers' left fielder Terry Patterson. Webb stole third on a passed ball and didn't stop until he'd stole home for a 6-1 lead.
Naswell fought back with two strike outs and a ground out to shut down the Royals in the fourth, though little happened in the fifth.Naswell started the top of the sixth with a leadoff single, and advanced to second on a passed ball. But neither Normand, Lafreniere or Patterson could capitalize, and all three struck out in what would be the Diggers' last chance to score.The Royals continued to get hits with two singles to lead off the bottom of the inning from latecomer Kim Stanley and Webb. Stanley stole home on a passed ball during Greiner's at bat to make it a 7-1 lead. Then Webb followed suit and stole his own run after another passed ball, kicking the score up to 8-1.
