18U Nationals lose their seventh straight

The Stratford 18U Nationals' losing streak extended to eight games following an 8-3 loss to the Kitchener Hassan Panthers, who are last in the Inter County Baseball Association (ICBA)’s 18U T1 division, at Stratford National Stadium on June 15.

After a scoreless first inning, the Panthers scored five runs off Stratford's starting pitcher Owen Brooks in the second inning. Brooks then contributed offensively for the Nationals in their half of the inning with an RBI single, reducing the score to 5-1.

Kitchener extended their five-run lead in the bottom of the third, but the Nationals narrowed the gap in the fourth when Finley Newton hit a 2-run RBI single bringing in Daniel Hovius and Colin Priestap. The Panthers added an extra run in both the seventh and ninth innings, while the Nationals’ offense remained silent after the third inning, resulting in an 8-3 defeat.

Dawson Davidson led the Nationals with two hits, while Hovius, Colin and Ethan Priestap scored the only runs for the home team.

Following their loss, the Nationals' record fell to 3-7, placing them third from last in the eleven-team division. They aimed to turn things around on June 17 in Ancaster against the Angels (after press time), and planned to host the Guelph Royals on June 19 and the Cambridge Cubs on June 22 at National Stadium.