Blue Knights blanked in season-openers

The scoreboard said they accomplished nothing, but their dugout leader believes otherwise.
The Barwick Blue Knights junior baseball team—comprised of players from Barwick, Stratton, and Emo—took it on the chin in the form of two exhibition losses in Thunder Bay to kick off their season.
But manager Ken Wilson is satisfied with the concerted effort his troops put forth despite an 11-0 loss to the Thunder Bay Slam on April 26, and a 5-0 defeat against the Thunder Bay Mountainhawks (formerly the Whiskey Jacks) the following day.
“We were going up against guys of whom many are bound for U.S. college teams, and even one pitcher that’s been drafted into the new Canadian Professional Baseball League,” noted Wilson.
“We were a little unprepared for the pitching we faced. We didn’t get really start hitting the ball until the third inning of the second game,” he added.
“There’s no deadwood on these teams, but I’m very proud of our guys for hanging in there.”
Kevin Gemmell started on the mound for the Blue Knights against the Slam, which travels around North America playing exhibition games, and kept the score at a respectable 6-0 through five innings.
Reliever Cole Kaemingh was not so fortunate, though, as Thunder Bay pounced on him for five runs in his one inning of work.
But Kaemingh got his shot at redemption the following day against the Mountainhawks as he was given the starting nod.
After a rough first inning that saw his control problems stake Thunder Bay to a 3-0 lead, Kaemingh settled down and pitched solidly the rest of the way.
Wilson also was in a good mood after learning the Thunder Bay chapter of the Ontario Baseball Association may try and adopt the Blue Knights into their membership—opening up more opportunities for the team to compete in exhibition action of their own.
The team’s next games are undetermined, although Wilson said a trip to Winnipeg for a tournament is in the works.