The Varsity Blues’ baseball team finished their first game of a doubleheader against the Ryerson Rams on Saturday with an emphatic 8–3 victory, that marked the Blues’ first win of the season.

Outfielder Andrew Mannone led the way offensively with three hits and two rbis, while Hee Do Kim added another two rbis with his fifth inning double. Blues pitcher Peter Nash put forth a solid effort, striking out six and giving up three runs on four hits in just over five innings of work. A strong close by Daniel Connolly sealed the win for U of T.

The game was scoreless until the fourth inning, when the Blues scored two runs.

A scare came in the fifth inning, however. The Blues, still up by two, saw the Rams with the bases loaded and only one out when strong pitching by Nash and solid defensive plays helped the Blues escape the inning without giving up any runs, preserving the lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the afternoon.

“Bases loaded and one out, you want to make sure you get up in the count,” said Nash about the tough inning. “I was trying to keep the ball down, to hopefully induce a ground ball so my infielders have a chance,  and that’s exactly what happened.”

After the scare in the fifth, the Blues offense lit fire, generating four runs in the bottom of the inning, increasing their lead to 6–0. Although Ryerson responded with a three-run sixth, it was not enough to get the Rams within striking distance. When the Blues added two more runs in the seventh, the score increased to 8–3, which would hold to the end of the game.

Exceptional defense added onto the Blues’ strong pitching and hitting to prevent Ryerson from scoring more than they did.

“The defense is getting better every day, and I think, at the end of the day, our defense should be our strongest suit,” remarked head coach Jim Sheppard.

“If we can put offense, defense, and pitching together, we are going to be in the race. If we don’t, we’re going to be in trouble.”

In the afternoon, the Blues followed their morning win with a 13–1 drubbing of the Rams. Blues outfielder Jonathan Isaac led the way offensively, with five rbis on three hits, and pitcher Ryan Donnelly had an exceptional outing, giving up one run on five hits.

There has been a large turnover on the roster from last season, but Sheppard believes that the level of talent of the rookies should not make the transition too turbulent. “We have 11 new guys on the team, so that’s a bit of a turnover for a ball club. But it’s probably the best crop of rookies that have come into the University of Toronto for a long time,” said Sheppard.

The Blues, who now have a 2–3 record, will return home to Dan Lang Field on September 28 at 1:00 pm to take on Queen’s in a double-header.