In a gem of a pitcher's duel Jesse Peters emerged victorious.
Peters worked a complete game for the Prince George Westcana Electric Axemen and his teammates provide enough offence for a 2-0 win over the Windsor Stars on Friday as the home team started off the Re/Max Centre City Baseball Canada Senior championship on the right note.
The 28 year old right-handed hurler was able to get the Stars Andrew Masojc to fly out to left field to end the game just as the dark clouds moved over Citizen Field. Peters allowed four hits, one walk and one hit batter while striking out seven.
Axemen coach Jim Swanson said it was the type of game that would look good at the World Baseball Challenge.
"I think we played a good game against a very good team," said Swanson. "Jesse Peters was very strong tonight, he filled the strike zone and we got some timely hits. That was a good baseball game."
Steven Carter nearly matched the effort pitch for pitch for the Stars, allowing a solo homerun in the first inning before the Axemen doubled their lead in the fifth on a fielding error.
In the first inning, Kevin Mailloux had a broken bat single for the Stars, stole second base and was thrown out at home plate for the final out when he tried to score on Cam Goddard's single to left field. The Axemen took a 1-0 lead on Graig Merritt's blast over the centre-field wall.
The pitchers took over in the second inning as Peters tallied a pair of strikeouts for Prince George after allowing the leadoff hitter a free pass, while the Stars Carter struck out Bob Foerster to end the inning.
After three scoreless innings the Stars looked to have something cooking in the fifth when they received a leadoff hit from Brian Simone and then Masojo was hit by a Peters' pitch, but Windsor's next batter Bryan Dufour hit into the double play and the Axemen were able to get out of the inning unscathed.
In the bottom half of the inning, Brandon Hunter started off with a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sacrifice before scoring when Stars' second baseman Dufour couldn't handle Clayton Howell's infield grounder and it bounced to the centre-right wall.
Swanson said the Stars will likely be out today to avenge the loss.
The 2-0 lead for the Axemen held up through a scoreless sixth as Peters had his sixth strikeout of the night.
"Despite the outcome I still think the Stars are everybody's favourite to win," said Swanson. "They are still the defending champions. They were a swing away from tying the game."
Prince George faces the Fort Saskatchewan A's of Alberta tonight at Citizen Field, 7 p.m.
