Jay Cook was sizzling-hot for the Victoria Mavericks.
The 29-year-old shortstop from Prince George was a difference-maker for the Mavericks in their Thursday opener at the RE/MAX Centre City Baseball Canada Senior Championship. In a 5-3 win against the Strathroy Royals at Citizen Field, Cook knocked home the first Victoria run and ended up going 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and three singles.
Oh, and he also stole two bases and assisted on five put-outs.
Cook could have played for the host Westcana Electric Axemen at nationals but was instead snapped up by the Mavericks after the team was here for provincials earlier this month. At the B.C. tournament, Cook was a standout player for the Prince George BID Group Grays.
"I met Jay at the provincial tournament for the first time and when I watched him play ball I knew right away the kid was good," said Mavericks pitcher Graham Campbell, who threw a complete-game, seven-hitter against the Royals on Thursday. "We were real excited when we found out that he was with us [for nationals]. As soon as we found out he wasn't playing for the host team we were right on top of getting him.
"The momentum he created kept us up," Campbell added. "Especially being a hometown guy like that and being new to the team, it's not easy to come out and do what he did."
The Ontario-based Royals had a 2-1 lead after three innings but the Mavericks turned the game in their favour in the top of the fourth when Sean Murphy pounded a three-run home run off Strathroy starter Matt Brennan. Cook -- who had doubled earlier in the inning -- and Lance Burrows scored on Murphy's round-tripper. Before the top of the fourth was done, Kyle Iwata added to Victoria's lead with an unearned run.
Strathroy got one back in the bottom of the inning but that was the end of the scoring.
Campbell, who found success with his fastball and change-up, finished with two strikeouts, including a game-ending fanning of Kyle Harris.
Brennan took the loss. He was relieved by Chad Frayne in the fifth inning.
Cook was named Victoria's player of the game. He was happy with the win and low-key about his own performance.
"I'm just glad to help out," said Cook, who was Victoria's lead-off hitter. "They brought me out to do what I do, and I went out and did it."
The Mavericks, playing as Team B.C., will be back in action at 3 p.m. today (Citizen Field) against the Reston Rockets of Manitoba. The Rockets lost 8-1 to the Chatham Ironmen of New Brunswick on Thursday.
Strathroy will try to even its record at 1-1 when it takes on Chatham at noon at Rotary Field.
