18U Nationals smash the Cubs, soar past the Angels

Nolan Miller reads the sign from the mound against the Ancaster Angels at Stratford National Stadium on May 11.

The Stratford 18U Nationals went two-for-two over the past week, crushing the Cambridge Cubs 13-3 on the road on May 7 and outlasting the Ancaster Angels 10-7 at a sunny but cold Stratford National Stadium on May 11.

In the May 11 matchup, Stratford pitcher Nolan Miller delivered a gutsy performance, pitching five no-hit innings with eight strikeouts, three walks and allowing two runs. After a tough start offensively in the first four innings, the Nationals scored five runs, giving crucial support to Miller.

Reed Bowles pitched in relief for the sixth and seventh innings and maintained the Stratford lead. The Nationals added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings to increase their lead to 10-3 heading into the eighth and final inning.

Ancaster made things interesting with an inside-the-park grand slam to pull to within three, but Logan MacMillan and the defence made the key double play and a fly out to nail the victory.

Stratford Head Coach Mud Grasby was happy with the team’s performance, acknowledging the challenges of playing in the cold and expressing humour about his and the team’s weather preferences.

“It feels good. We’re starting to come together, and we're starting to hit the ball in cold weather. It takes a while, but I like what I see so far,” Grasby said. “I would rather want the warm weather, and I bet they would too.”

Next, the Nationals will play their first three-game slate of the season, facing both Kitchener Panthers teams. On Victoria Day, May 18, Stratford hosts the Kitchener Diemert Panthers at National Stadium, then on May 18, they head to Kitchener to play the same Diemert Panthers. The three-game stretch ends on May 20 with a game against the Kitchener Hassan Panthers in Kitchener.

Grasby states that the strategy for the three games involves using the full pitching staff.