The North Battleford Beavers fell to 0-3 after a rain-soaked game against the Border City Blue Jays Tuesday night at Beaver Lions Stadium.
The Blue Jays downed the Beavers 5-2 to win their fourth-straight game to start the season.
Border City pitcher Jason Fechter scattered three hits over seven innings, striking out seven Beavers batters to pick up the win. Beavers starter Dave Miller went six innings, giving up eight hits and three earned runs to be saddled with the loss.
The Beavers struck first with a run in the bottom of the first. After second-baseman Brennan Lampitt walked, right-fielder Kyle Gregoire singled through Blue Jays first-baseman Reuben Baker's legs and advanced Lampitt to third. During the next at bat, Gregoire stole second. When Blue Jays catcher Brent Laevens threw to second, Lampitt broke for home and beat the throw to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead.
Border City tied the game in the top of the second. Clayton Ermel and Brent Bowman both singled to start the inning. Baker grounded into a double play, advancing Ermel to third. Blue Jays shortstop Darryl Richardson then singled home Ermel to make it a 1-1 game.
After a scoreless third inning, a light rain started during the fourth inning. In the top of the fourth, Ermel led off with a double to right field. After Bowman lined out to CJ Miller at shortstop, Baker scored Ermel from second with a single. Dave Miller then struck out Richardson and looked to be out of the inning on a ground ball to third-baseman Derrick Chapman. However, Chapman's throw pulled Tyler Russell off of first base as Baker headed to third. Second-baseman Landon Noyes hit a ball to second that took a big bounce that got past Rory Gregoire, who replaced an injured Lampitt in the third. Baker scored from third as the Blue Jays took a 3-1 lead.
The rain continued through the fifth and became heavier in the sixth. In the top of that inning, Laevens singled with two outs. He advanced to second on a wild pitch from Dave Miller. Noyes picked up his second RBI of the game when he hit a single into left field, scoring Laevens from second.
The Beavers responded in the bottom of the sixth with a manufactured run. Rory Gregoire led off the inning with a single, followed by Kyle Gregoire drawing a walk. Centre-fielder Kyle Palmer reached base on an attempted sacrifice bunt, loading the bases. Russell hit a sacrifice fly to centre, scoring Rory Gregoire from third. After left-fielder Brad Eischon struck out, catcher Ryan Muyers grounded up the middle to Bowman, who stepped on second base to end the threat and the inning.
There was a short rain delay between the sixth and seventh innings as the heavy rain continued. After it began to let up, Palmer came in from centre field to pitch for the Beavers. Palmer hit Scott Willis, who was the first batter of the inning. Fechter followed with a double to centre field. With runners on second and third, Bowman hit a ground ball to Chapman, who threw home to get Willis out at third. Baker then stepped to the plate and drove Fechter in with a single for his second RBI of the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Chapman and CJ Miller drew walks to lead off the inning. Fechter then struck out Dave Miller, Rory Gregoire and Kyle Gregoire in succession to end the game.
Border City improved to 4-0 to start the season, staying in a first-place tie with the Lloydminster Twins.
The Beavers' next home game is Thursday night when the Standard Hill Lakers (1-3) visit Beaver Lions Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
