HALTON Jaguars again showed up well in BBF Premier league North with two solid wins against old rivals Sheffield Bladerunners at Phoenix Park.
Game one was never in doubt with good defence restricting the Bladerunners' scoring.
Starting pitcher Rob Mills gave up just three runs in four innings while the Jags guns notched up 20 runs in the fifth. After Chris Taggart kept Sheffield scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, Jags won the game 20-3 on the ten-run slaughter rule.
Game two was a little closer but a nine-run opening inning from Halton left Sheffield playing catch-up from the start.
Jim Ellis soon replaced Andy Beacon on the mound for Bladerunners but although this slowed the Halton scoring, the damage had been done.
By the end of the top of the fifth, Jags had recorded 16 players crossing the plate.
Halton pitcher William Sneddon gave up just five runs in four innings while Harry Mills, closing for Jags, kept Sheffield scoreless in the bottom of the fifth - bringing Jags another slaughter rule win by 16-5.
Halton face stern tests at Menwith Hill this Sunday and Liverpool Trojans on Sunday, July 23 in inter-league play against the north's two best National League teams.
Travelling supporters are encouraged to get behind Halton against the Trojans at Bootle Stadium.
Halton Polecats' U17s battled to a 19-16 win over Manchester Saints in the BBF Pony League North.
Polecats took an early lead in this game with doubles to Adam Jones, Jay Johnson, and Mitchell Cross contributing significantly to the five runs scored.
Manchester rallied for a one-run lead but Polecats came back to win the fourth 5-2, catcher Carl Heesom hitting a two-run homer.
The fifth saw Polecats' lead stretched with Cross restricting the Saints and Cross hitting an 'inside-the-park' home run in the sixth.
With Cross having pitched the maximum innings allowed, relief Adam Jones kept Saints to just three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Polecats entertain Saints in a double header on Saturday.
