Mallards split pair of games after long rain delay at nationals

The Moose Jaw Mallards survived a tornado Thursday.
Friday a simple rain delay helped do them in.
The Mallards came out flat after a two-and-a-half hour rain delay and suffered their first loss at the Baseball Canada Bantam national championships in Vaughn, Ont.
After losing 9-3 Nova Scotia, the Mallards rallied for a convincing 16-3 win over Newfoundland and Labrador. The local side will meet Ontario Saturday in their final pool game.
Mallards 16 Nfld. 3
The Mallards put the game away in half an inning and then were able to make sure everyone got some playing time.
"We kind of pulled back the reigns and relaxed," said Mallards coach Mark Mann.
"We didn't move anywhere on passed balls. Ontario beat the same team we beat 31-1. They tried to pull back too, but not as much. You don't want to beat up on anybody too bad."
The Mallards grabbed an 11-0 lead after half an inning on five hits and six walks. Ten of the Mallards 11 runs came with two outs.
Tanner Spencer hit a two-run single and Justin Bitz hit a two-run double to help spark the rally.
Dylan McIntosh, Mark Jelinski and Jonathon Phillips each threw for the Mallards.
Brandin Cannon was 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, while Spencer 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored. Cameron Reich was also 2-for-4.
Nova Scotia 9 Mallards 3
The Mallards were trailing 4-2 when the rain hit. When they came back Nova Scotia picked up their game as the Mallards struggled to find their game.
"We had a two-and-half hour rain delay and we came back flat," said Mann. "And give them credit, the pitcher they threw against us threw really well. We just didn't hit him that well."
Devon Oliver-Dares allowed two hits in six innings to earn the win for Nova Scotia while striking out a dozen Mallards. In the seventh, the Mallards actually managed three hits and a run off of the bullpen, but were too far behind.
Jared Andreychuk doubled and scored a run to put the Mallards up 2-1 in the second inning. Nova Scotia replied with three runs in the top of the third as the Mallards committed a pair of errors.
Nova Scotia scored five runs in the sixth inning. They hit two triples in a the sixth including Chris Thibideau's three-run triple that put the game out of reach.
Andreychuk allowed nine runs on 12 hits in a complete game loss. Andreychuk also struck out nine batters.