The West Kootenay Aces turned in a strong all-around performance over the weekend, earning a two-game sweep over the Cranbrook Bandits behind consistent hitting and effective pitching.
Game one saw the Aces opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back. Mason Pangburn got things started with a two-run home run to right field. Jake McNabb followed with an RBI double, Luke McNabb added an RBI single, and a steal of home capped a five-run inning.
West Kootenay extended its lead in the third. Finn Phillips singled up the middle and Aven Maio scored after tagging up, pushing the advantage further.
The Aces added insurance in the sixth inning when McNabb homered to right field to bring in two more runs.
Pangburn set the tone on the mound, allowing one hit and no runs over two innings while striking out four. Jake McNabb added two scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit while striking out two.
At the plate, the Aces collected 14 hits. McNabb led the offence with three runs batted in, while Jake McNabb, Luke McNabb and Emmett Blunderfield each recorded two hits. The team also showed patience, drawing six walks and stealing six bases. Oliver Wiens led the way on the base paths with two steals. Defensively, the Aces were clean, committing no errors.
The Aces carried that momentum into Game 2, using an early surge to secure a 14-3 win.
Oliver Wiens gave West Kootenay a 3-2 lead in the first inning with a home run to right field. The Aces broke the game open in the second, scoring five runs on five hits. Jude Langford delivered the key blow with a three-run home run to centre field, while Tayven Epp doubled in a run and Reuben Huscroft added an RBI single.
West Kootenay continued to build its lead in the third inning. An error brought in one run before Jake McNabb hit a two-run home run to right field.
Langford finished with four runs batted in to lead the offence. The Aces totalled 16 hits, with Epp, McNabb, Langford, Huscroft and Finn Phillips each collecting two.
On the mound, Mason Nazaroff started and allowed two runs over one inning. Aven Maio, McNabb and Phillips combined in relief to shut down the Bandits the rest of the way.
The Aces also contributed defensively, turning a double play to help secure the win.
West Kootenay will look to carry its strong weekend performance into its next matchup.
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