Nate Smith hurled a complete game four-hitter en route to an Altona Bisons 3-1 win over their Manitoba Junior Baseball League rival Pembina Valley Orioles. 

"It was good. Liam (Giesbrecht) did a great job calling the game. We worked really well together and the defence, when I needed them in the big situations, they were huge for me," said Smith. 

The Bisons scored a run in three consecutive innings, one in the second, third, and fourth, while the Orioles only run came in their half of the third. 

Seth Staple got the start on the bump for the Orioles and pitched into the fourth inning, giving up all three runs on two hits, while walking a pair. Mackenzie Hamm came in relief of Staple and tossed three innings of shutout ball, while giving up one hit and struck out a batter along the way. Brady Moxham pitched the final inning for the Orioles and walked a batter, but got the ground ball to turn a 4-6-3 double play to erase the walk.

It just wasn't the Orioles night for finding the holes they needed to as they had five 1-3 put outs and put a charge into many balls, but those were hit right to the Bison defenders. 

"We were hitting the ball hard," said Pembina Valley left fielder Taylor Drobot, when asked about not finding the holes in the later half of the game. "We'll find the holes and we'll get some runs."

This was the first game of the 2017 season for both clubs. The Bisons will hit the field next against the St. James A's on May 17th in Altona, while the Orioles are right back at it Friday with a game against the St. Boniface Legionaires in Winnipeg.