Wolves regain ground

Grant Swire and Marcel Pagee each hit homers as the Sight & Sound Wolves regained much-needed ground on Big Grassy in the Rainy River District Fastball League standings with a 8-4 win over the visiting Rainy River Royals last night.
Pagee allowed just the four runs in seven gritty innings for the Wolves, working deep into the count against many hitters but managing to limit the damage with ace Bob Andy on the shelf with an apparent work-related injury.
“[My] first start of the year was tough going; tried to throw strikes and it was a little hard to get the strike zone there for a while,” Pagee admitted after recording the final out.
“We aren’t too sure of [Andy’s] situation but I’m just filling in. We need other chuckers for times when he can’t be here.”
The Wolves trailed until the third, when Pagee led off the home half of the inning with a solo shot to left to square the game at 2-2.
“It was just an inside fastball waist high and I came around on it at the right time,” Pagee recalled. “I figured I hit it hard enough, but wasn’t sure it was high enough but it carried.
“Every time I hit one of those, it seems everyone else does as well so it was a good omen, I guess.”
The Wolves took the lead later in the inning on an RBI single by manager Derek McKinnon. But he had to be replaced by Logan Allen on the basepaths after aggravating a foot injury sustained while running to third earlier in the game.
“Beef” Windego promptly singled to move Allen to second before Joe Sinclair took a pitch off the helmet to load the bases. George Halverson then walked to bring home the Wolves’ fourth run.
Tony Armstrong belted a solo shot in the fifth to narrow the deficit to one, but Swire’s three-run bomb in the bottom half put the game away, improving the Wolves’ record to 11-3. They also beat Big Island 6-4 on the road on Tuesday, and are now a half game up on Big Grassy (10-3), who have a game in hand.
Rainy River had upset Big Grassy 10-5 on Tuesday night, but couldn’t keep the momentum going last night. The Royals currently sit in third place behind Sight & Sound.