Coquitlam Reds’ Jeff Heidema picked up his third win of the season last week in a 7-3 triumph over the White Rock Tritons. The B.C. Premier Baseball League team enters the final week on a winning roll.
Photograph by: Sharon Doucette , NOW
Jeff Heidema, Mark Trimble and Curtis Taylor all chalked up clutch wins this past week for the Coquitlam Reds.
Although the opposition wasn't of the fiercest variety - having a combined record of 55-80 - the Reds were glad to pick up three more victories in their pursuit of a more favourable position in the B.C. Premier Baseball League standings.
On Monday, they clinched a playoff berth by blasting the White Rock Tritons 7-3, with Heidema tossing a solid six-1/3 innings. The club erupted for six runs in the third to erase a 2-0 hole, with Tyler Yorko - who had three hits on the day - delivering a two-run double.
A day later, Coquitlam faced off against fifth-place Abbotsford and pulled off a 6-4 decision over the Cardinals. Mark Trimble displayed terrific control, fanning seven and walking just one in a complete game win.
Trailing 2-1, the Reds' bats drummed up five runs in the bottom of the third. Darren Honeysett's two-run double proved to be the big hit, while Aydan Smith recorded three hits and two RBI.
On Wednesday, the squad maintained that momentum by dumping the Whalley Chiefs 41, behind the sharp pitching of Curtis Taylor.
Taylor went five innings and held the Chiefs to just three hits. He was ahead before he faced his first batter, as Coquitlam racked up six runs in the top of the first inning.
Jordan Zazulak laced a two-run double as part of that quick start, while Max Hollingworth drove in another run with a single.
The outfielder would expand the club's lead in the third with a towering home run, finishing 2-for-2 with a stolen base.
Mitchell Jackman also posted two hits, as Coquitlam improved to 24-21. The wins boosted the club's chances of finishing in sixth place or possibly fifth spot - and avoiding a match-up against either Langley or Nanaimo, who are duelling for first place.
"We got three big innings with the bats, and it was nice that none of them were cheap innings," noted manager Kyle Williams. "We've had innings where we score a handful of runs through the other team's errors and walks, but all of these were from our own hitters."
They could finish as high as fourth place, but require Abbotsford to lose its final four games and the Reds to sweep their final three.
Coquitlam faces Langley on Sunday with a doubleheader, noon and 2: 30 p.m., at Mundy Park.
They close out the regular season on Monday with a makeup game in White Rock.
