Royals topple Ironmen in season’s first game at Ironmen Field

MIRAMICHI • The Chatham Miramichi Honda Ironmen hoped to extend their winning streak to three games in their first date of the year at their regular home field, but the Fredericton Simpson Royals had other plans.

The Ironmen (10-5) fell behind 2-0 in the opening frame and couldn’t close the gap en route to a 20-3 loss to the Royals — their most lopsided setback of the season — on Saturday at Ironmen Field.

That followed a 3-2 walk-off win in extra innings over the three-time defending champs, the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders, on Thursday and a 1-0 victory over the struggling Moncton Dixie Lee Mets on Monday at Waldo Henderson Memorial Field in Chatham Head, where the Ironmen had played all of their home games before Saturday.

Work to replace the lights at the city-owned field on John Street was halted late last month when unionized electricians working for the project’s contractor, Black & McDonald, went on strike. That’s forced the senior Ironmen and the Chatham O’Donaghue’s Junior Ironmen, of the New Brunswick Junior Baseball League, to play most of their home games at other city fields this season.

With Saturday’s loss, the Ironmen remained in second place in the five-team senior circuit, trailing the Islanders (13-5) by one and a half games, although Charlottetown has played three more games. The Royals (11-7) are in third, followed by the Saint John AJ’s Alpines (7-10) and the winless Mets (0-14).