The Howe Sound Men's Fastball League favourites opened the playoffs with victories on Tuesday (July 22) at Brennan Park.The first-placed B&B Excavating Diggers beat the Masters 7-2 in the early game before the second-placed Hunter John Co. Ltd. Wizards shot down the Nova Reinforcing Juniors 4-1.The wins put the Diggers and Wizards one game up in the best-of-three semi-final.The Wizards' Calem Gardner helped his team get ahead early by hitting a three-run homerun. After a quick 4-0 lead, pitcher Travis Moyle battled with Juniors' pitcher Bob Versluis."We just buckled down and the pitching duel began," said Moyle after the game, adding that he slightly alters his style against the young team."I'm trying to throw all the same pitches but let them hit them. Throw the rise ball and the drop ball but throw them for strikes and see what they can do with it. It's fun to watch them grow and in a couple years they're going to be really hitting that frickin' rise ball and drop ball." The Juniors got solid hitting from Jet Lee, who hit a triple to left field in the third inning. But the Wizard's centre fielder made a spectacular diving catch on a short pop to safely end the inning. The Juniors finally got on the board in the fifth inning after Dylan Ackerman hit a double and Brayden Chapman smacked him home.The Wizards replied by threatening Versluis with a couple of clean singles. However, Juniors first baseman Jesse Anderson fought off the assault by making a diving catch on a ground ball.The Wizards continued to shut down the Juniors batters to hold on to the victory.In the early game, the Masters were able to keep up to the Diggers for a few innings before allowing a stream of runs. The score remained 3-2 Diggers for the better part of the game before the Diggers sparked their firepower.The Masters, which ended the regular season with a record of 4-13-1 will have to kick it up a notch to beat the 13-4-1 Diggers two straight on Thursday and Friday (July 24-25).
