Veteran catcher paces offence with a pair of home runs

D1

by dwayne tingley
times & transcript staff

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MIRAMICHI - Rainouts and cold weather have taken their toll on the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League season.

Veteran Chatham Ironmen catcher Jon Saunders admits it's been frustrating to be held hostage by the weather, but he also knows there are ways to prepare for games without getting many at-bats.

"You have to get the right amount of rest, eat properly and get to the gym when you can," the 12-year veteran said last night.

He appears to have found the winning formula.

Saunders, a geographic information systems technician with the Miramichi Planning Commission, mapped out an 8-4 victory for the Ironmen over the Fredericton Royals by hitting two home runs and delivering six runs batted in last night at Ironmen Field.

"You have to stay sharp and come to the park ready to play," Saunders said. "It's been hard to get into any sort of rhythm when you only get a handful of at-bats every week.

"I just came ready to go. I was relaxed, had a good batting practice and we were happy to play some baseball. It was a great night at the park all the way around."

Royals jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a three-run homer by Chris Sorenson.

Ironmen answered with a three-run blast by Saunders, who added another three-run shot in the third.

Ryan Barry also hit a home run for the Ironmen while Dave Barr added a homer for the Royals.

Righthander Matt Jenkins settled into a groove after the first inning and picked up the win. He struck out three and walked three in 4 2/3 innings before handing the ball over to J.F. Neveau, who earned the save.

Josh Collins gave up 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings and was tagged with the loss.

Chatham improved its first-place record to 6-3 while the fourth-place Royals dropped to 5-7.

"I think we've got a lot of depth this year," Saunders said. "We've got a strong starting lineup and we've got a lot of guys on the bench who can step in and do a lot of damage, too.

"In the past, we may have been one-dimensional, but now we've got power and speed and a great pitching staff, too. It's a great group of guys who want to work together."

League play resumes tonight when the Moncton Mets (5-5) visit the Royals. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Royals Field.

Mets and Ironmen clash Sunday at 7 p.m. at Harold Page Field in Riverview.