The Windsor Stars’ opening game at the Canadian Senior Baseball Championships went into extra innings Thursday.
Their second game Friday afternoon went into extra hours after Windsor second baseman Bryan Dufour was ejected in the bottom of the fourth inning for using an illegal composite bat.
Tournament officials halted the game for more than an hour to examine Dufour’s bat with the Stars leading 3-1 and runners on first and third.
“It seemed like two days,” Stars manager Ron Smith said of the delay.
“It cost us a run because with another single, we go up 4-1. It also cost us our second baseman.”
Windsor is 2-0 after a 4-1 win over New Brunswick Friday and a 5-4 win over Alberta in nine innings Thursday.
Under tournament rules, players can only use 100 per cent wood bats.
The material used in composite bats incorporate the same technology of aluminum baseball bats.
Smith said the team has been using the same bats for “seven or eight years” and never knew they weren’t allowed during the Canadian championships, which are being hosted in Windsor this week.
“There was a lack of communication,” Smith said.
“We never saw the email from Baseball Canada about what constituted what was a legal and illegal bat.
“Unfortunately, we learned from that. I think a lot of other teams here did too as they’re all going out getting new bats.”
Tom Grubb led the Stars Friday with two hits an an RBI whie Laszio Horvath added a hit with two RBIs.
Windsor will play its second game of the day against Manitoba tonight at 7 p.m.
