Kentville Wildcats

Trevor Zwaan came up with a big pitching performance and Jamie Vallis came through with a clutch eighth inning double to help the Dartmouth Moosehead Dry win 3-1 in Truro and force a game seven Friday night at Beazley. The two teams traded off runs early. In the top of the first, Jason Irvine lead off with a double and came around to score on Greg West single. Truro matched the output in the bottom half of the frame when Kevin Matheson connected for a solo shot, his second homerun of the playoffs. Dartmouth had a chance to take the lead with runners on first and third and Jeff Chisholm in pitching in the eighth when Darren Doucette hit a line drive single to right, but Jason Irvine was cut down at the plate on a relay throw from Winston Brown. Jamie Vallis made up for the questionable call by driving in the go ahead run with a double that scored West. Trevor Zwaan (2-2), who had been pitching with a sore arm since the Halifax series, pitched 7 1/3 innings of five hit ball before leaving the game in the bottom of the eighth after hurting his elbow throwing a curveball. Chad Sawler came on to pick up the save. The Bearcats made it exciting in the bottom of the nineth. With runners on second and third with one out, Jason Hoyt had worked the count to 3-0 before popping up to the infield. With two outs, that brought Kevin Matheson to the plate. The Bearcats had won the Senior League title last season with Matheson hitting a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the tenth in game six at home. This year's results were different however with Sawler inducing a ground ball to short to end the game on a tight play at first base.

Dartmouth	1	0	0		0	0	0		0	2	0	-	3	8	1
Truro	1	0	0		0	0	0		0	0	0	-	1	6	0

Trevor Zwaan (2-2), Chad Sawler (S,1)(8) and Nick Best; Craig Higgins (0-2), Jeff Chisholm (8) and Jason Hoyt. HR: Truro - Kevin Matheson (2) Dartmouth: Jason Irvine - double, two singles; Greg West - two singles, RBI; Jamie Vallis - single, RBI Truro: Kevin Matheson - homerun, single

A stellar pitching performance by Jason Bailey kept the Darmouth Moosehead Dry's championship aspirations alive. Truro lead the series 3-2. Bailey (4-1) tossed a complete five hitter in front of over 600 fans at Beazely. Billy MacKenzie was the only Bearcat to reach second base. With a 1-0 lead Jamie Vallis hit a two-run single in the fifth with two outs to give the Dry a 3-0 lead. After Stiner retired the first two batters in the seventh, Greg West beat out an infield single to keep the inning alive. Darren Doucette followed with a two-run shot to right to give Dartmouth the comfortable 5-0 victory. Game six is set for Wednesday at the TAAC Grounds in Truro.

Truro	0	0	0		0	0	0		0	0	0	-	0	5	1
Dartmouth	1	0	0		0	2	0		2	0	0	-	5	8	0

Mark Stiner (2-1), Nial Hughes (7) and Jason Hoyt; Jason Bailey (4-1) and Nick Best. HR: Dartmouth (4) Truro: Billy MacKenzie - walk, two singles Dartmouth: Greg West - two singles, two runs scored; Darren Doucette - two-run homerun, single, two runs; Jamie Vallis - two-run single, two walks.

The Truro Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Bearcats took game four in convincing fashion winning 18-5 and now stand one victory away from winning their second NSSBL title in a row. Eight different Bearcats had multi-hit nights with Kevin Matheson leading the way with three singles and a double while driving in five. Billy MacKenzie and Winston Brown each hit homeruns for Truro while Jason Irvine and Darren Doucette went deep for Dartmouth. Kelly Spencer picked up the victory while Chad Sawler, having given up ten runs in 3 2/3 innings, took the loss. Game five is Monday night in Dartmouth.

Dartmouth	1	0	0		0	0	1		3	x	x	-	5	11	2
Truro	0	3	0		8	3	4		x	x	x	-	18	22	2

Chad Sawler (1-2), Mike Alexander (4), Matt Greenough (6), Darren Hiltz (6) and Nick Best; Kelly Spencer (2-0) and Jason Hoyt. HRs: Dartmouth - Jason Irvine (1), Darren Doucette (3) Truro - Billy MacKenzie (1), Winston Brown (1) Dartmouth: Jason Irvine - homerun; Darren Doucette - homerun; Joel Irvine - three singles, double; Darren Hiltz - three singles, three RBI; Greg West - double, single Truro: Billy MacKenzie - two-run homer, three singles; Winston Brown - three-run homer, single; Kevin Matheson - three singles, double, five RBI; Jason Hoyt - double, two singles; JP Wood - three singles; Jeff Chisholm - two singles; Craig Higgins - two singles; Joe MacPherson - single, double

Truro	1	0	3		0	0	0		0	0	0	-	4	0	0
Dartmouth	0	0	0		1	0	0		0	1	0	-	2	0	0

Jeff Fielding (1-0), Jeff Chisholm (S,3)(8) and Matt Mayo; Trevor Zwaan (1-2) and Nick Best. HR: Dartmouth - Jamie Vallis (4)

Dartmouth tied the series with a win at the TAAC Grounds in Truro. Game three is slated for Friday night in Dartmouth. JP Wood's third inning double was the only offense Truro could muster as Jason Bailey (3-1) went on to one-hit the Bearcats in a 10-0 drubbing by the Dartmouth Moosehead Dry. The game came two days shy of the second anniversays of Trevor Zwaan's 10-0 no-hitter in game one of the 2001 finals in Truro. Wood was the only batter to reach base in that game when he was struck by a pitch, breaking up Zwwan's perfect game bid. Craig Higgins took the loss in that game as well as this one. Darren Hiltz went had a perfect night banging out a single, two doubles and a homerun. A four-run fourth broke things open for Dartmouth. The inning was fueled by a two-run double by Mark Weeks and a pair of Truro errors. Joel Irvine filled in at short for Ryan Doucette who had missed the game after suffering a pinched nerve in his neck that was sustained in a collision at the plate Monday night with Truro catcher Matt Mayo.

Dartmouth	0	0	1		4	0	1		3	1	x	-	10	12	1
Truro	0	0	0		0	0	0		0	0	x	-	0	1	3

Jason Bailey (3-1) and Nick Best; Craig Higgins (0-1), Winston Brown (6) and Jason Hoyt, Matt Mayo (6). HRs: Dartmouth - Darren Hiltz (2), Nick Best (1) Dartmouth: Darren Hiltz - single, two doubles, three-run homerun; Darren Doucette - three singles; Nick Best - solo homerun Truro: JP Wood - double