Discipline led to dominance for the Abbotsford Cardinals on Saturday, as they earned a split against the Nanaimo Pirates at DeLair Park.
The visitors won the opener of the doubleheader 3-1, as Pirates pitchers Luke Skingle and Colby Morgan combined to out-duel Abby ace Matthew Forsythe.
But the Cards’ offence came alive in the second game of the day, ignited by a penchant for drawing walks. Abbotsford batters took an eye-popping 11 free passes against three Nanaimo pitchers, including three walks apiece from Ryan Green and Coleton Besse.
Riley Salter also had a big game, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while starting pitcher Daniel Koo limited the Pirates to just one earned run over six innings while driving in a pair of runs at the plate.
The Cards, 3-4 in B.C. Premier Baseball League action, visit the White Rock Tritons on Wednesday. They’re back in action at home on Saturday, when they host a doubleheader against the Vancouver Cannons (12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., DeLair Park).
• The Junior Cardinals also split against their Nanaimo counterparts, dropping their opener 4-3 before bouncing back for a 10-9 win in the back half of a doubleheader on Sunday.
Dakota Reimer drove in two runs in the first game, while Matt Revel keyed the offensive explosion in the second, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs.