After breezing through the first three games of a bantam baseball exhibition series with lopsided victories last weekend in Vernon, the Prince George Knights had their hands full in their final game against the Rutland Rockies.
The Knights easily dispatched a Rutland team missing a couple of key players in their first game Friday night but against a full Rockies staff it was a much different story in Sunday's rematch.
Heading into the seventh and final inning, Prince George was trailing 7-4. But the Knights' bats came to life and they rallied with four runs in the top half of the inning to grab an 8-7 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Rutland was threatening to score with first and third occupied and only one out when Knights pitcher Quinton Astorino fooled the baserunner at first with his pick-off move to first baseman Colby Lukinchuk to record the second out.
The Knights held the runner at third and managed to get the third out to end the game.
Earlier in the weekend, the Knights also defeated the Penticton Tigers and Vernon Canadians. The four wins in Vernon, combined with their 5-0 performance at the Best of the West tournament in April in Kamloops left the Knights with a perfect 9-0 record to start the season.
Collectively, the Knights are playing so well it's making it difficult for coaches Peter Campbell and Brad Kreitz and manager Denny Astorino to decide who will be the starters on the all-star bantam squad which will represent Prince George this summer.
The Knights current roster includes Astorino, Lukinchuk, Keith Arnett, Caleon Gibb, Brady Pratt, Matt Seimens, Mike Schwab, Ryan Hampe, Tommy Kreitz, Ryan Bachand, Liam Campbell, Richard French and Ajay Nickolet.
