Semi-Final Game 7: Sun Sets on the Leafs, Season Ends

Semi-Finals: Toronto Maple Leafs at Barrie Baycats - August 20, 2015

Baycats win 7-2 -- BAYCATS WIN THE SERIES 4-3

When the 2015 IBL postseason got underway, not many people expected the Toronto Maple Leafs to start swaggering from town to town like a gang of cigar-chomping woodpeckers, kicking other clubs' ballparks to pieces, and tapping their ashes out in some poor joe's lunch.

But that's what happened.

The Mapes had staggered to a 6th place finish with one of their worst records in decades (15-21).  A late-season losing streak had resulted in a managerial adjustment.  A first round matchup with the 7-time champion Brantford Red Sox dulled the spirit, and it looked like the Leafs might be goners, quick.

Instead, the playoffs proved to be a new dawn for the club.

Pitching, hitting and fielding all came together.  The Leafs played like the Leafs we waited for all season.

Justin Cicatello, Brett Van Pelt and Justin Lawrence gelled into a formidable rotation, racking up complete game wins like it was no big deal.  In six out of 12 games, the starters went the distance.  Cicatello led the way with three wins.

At the plate, Johnathan Solazzo and Jon Waltenbury formed a "bash brothers" tandem, smashing four and three home runs respectively, including some memorable bombs at Christie Pits.  Tyler Mitchell, who hit one round-tripper all season, made a surprise addition to the postseason demolition crew by hitting three homers as well.  Between the three of them, they racked up 42 of the Leafs' 79 RBIs this August.

Waltenbury hit .457 in the postseason and led the team in hits, doubles, RBIs, runs scored, and he also tied Dan Marra for stolen bases with two apiece.  Waltenbury also led the team as its undisputed captain, rallying the troops from first pitch to final out.

The team rallied around him, as old reliables Marra and Raul Borjas stepped it up with timely hits and RBIs.  Newer faces like Grant Tamane, Brendan Keys, Connor Lewis and Will Richards all cemented their places on the team.

So, instead of going down quietly and letting Brantford get on with bigger things, the Leafs stormed into their quarterfinal matchup and shocked the Red Sox 4-1.  It was the first time since 2007 that the Leafs knocked them out.

It was on to the semi-finals and a meeting with the Barrie Baycats.  The defending IBL champions had romped to a 28-7 regular season record, and swept the Guelph Royals in four games.  The Leafs could not ask to face a more overwhelming favourite, but they rose to the challenge and pushed the 'Cats to the brink.  The back-and-forth series went to a seventh game.

Last night in Barrie, the Leafs' playoff run came to an end.  The tank ran out of gas, the champs had one more win in them, and the Leafs were eliminated.

Justin Lawrence had a tough luck outing, giving up seven runs (five earned) over 6.1 innings.  Behind him, the Leafs' infield made four errors.

At the plate, the Leafs' bats went cold.  They knocked nine hits off of starter Adam Rowe, but left eight men on base and struck out nine times.  A late rally got Toronto on the board, but they ran out of outs, and Barrie celebrated under the fireworks with a 7-2 final score. 

After a new dawn, the sun had set on the 2015 season.


Game Recap:

It was all on the line as the Barrie Baycats hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs in game seven of their semi-final series.  Adam Rowe and Justin Lawrence were on the mound to start the elimination game.

It was a hitless, scoreless affair for the first two innings.  Toronto got a couple of hits off of Rowe in the third, but nothing came of it.

Barrie got on the board in the bottom of the 4th, when first baseman Jordan Castaldo hit a two-run homer off of Lawrence.  Third baseman Kevin Atkinson reached on an error, which was followed by a single by catcher Kyle DeGrace.  A single by shortstop Branfy Arias scored Atkinson and the Baycats had a 3-0 lead after four innings.

The Baycats extended their lead in the 5th, as centerfielder Glenn Jackson singled and Castaldo got aboard with a walk.  Atkinson then hit a double to bring Jackson home and move Castaldo to third.  He too scored, when DeGrace hit into an out at first.  5-0 Baycats through five.

DeGrace put the finishing touch on Barrie's scoring, with a two-run homer off of Lawrence in the bottom of the 7th.  Marek Deska came in to finish the inning, and the Baycats led 7-0 through seven.

Toronto rallied late.  Rightfielder Grant Tamane singled to lead off.  That was followed by singles from second baseman Dan Marra and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo.  With the bases loaded, leftfielder Raul Borjas hit into a fielder's choice.  Tamane and Marra both scored on the play after a fielding error by Barrie.  Christian Botnick pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame and it was 7-2 Baycats after eight innings.

It was also a 1-2-3 top of the 9th, as the Leafs went down in order to Chris Nagorski and Barrie won the series with a 7-2 final.


Toronto 2-9-4
Barrie 7-6-2

W - Rowe (3-1, 1.82)
L - Lawrence (1-3, 3.81)

BOXSCORE


The Maple Leafs' 2015 playoff thrill ride is over.  Overall, this season has provided a memorable four months, and the club has a solid foundation to build on for 2016.

Late last night, one Barrie player put it best when he declared: "The Leafs are back!"

Semi-Final Game 6: Leafs Surge for the Win

Semi-Finals: Barrie Baycats at Toronto Maple Leafs - August 19, 2015

Leafs win 18-6

There was a rain delay during game five of this semi-final series up in Barrie a couple of nights ago.  It happened midway through the fifth inning, while the Toronto Maple Leafs were losing to the Barrie Baycats, 4-2.

At one point during the almost 90-minute stoppage, I found myself standing with Grant Tamane behind the visitors' dugout.

We chatted idly.  He munched a banana.  I held an umbrella.  

Christian Botnick emerged from the dugout and approached.

"'Leafs Surge for the Win,'" he said. "That's your next headline." 

"Nice!" we replied.  "Dirty!"

As it turned out, that headline went unused after game five.  Instead, the Leafs saved their surge for game six at Christie Pits last night.  Facing elimination, they exploded for 23 hits - including six home runs - en route to an 18-6 victory.  The win forces a game seven, to be played in Barrie later tonight.

I could spend this entire post talking about the home runs the Leafs hit last night.  Will Richards broke the ice with a screaming liner to right in the second inning.  Tyler Mitchell, who hit one home run in the entire regular season, blasted two on the night - worth four RBIs.  Johnathan Solazzo hit one of the highest homers ever seen at the Pits, blitzing the light tower in center-right.  Topping it off was a pair of home runs by Jon Waltenbury (above), including a grand slam that hit the roof of the snack bar beyond dead center.

On the mound, Justin Cicatello put in another "cult hero" performance.  He went the full nine innings - his third complete game of this post-season.  He gave up six runs, but with Toronto scoring left and right, it was more than enough to win this game.

As for the series, it now comes down to a single game.  The Maple Leafs have already torn up the script of this post-season.  Sports fans know that anything can happen in a deciding game.  The Leafs have bucked the odds to this point.  Soon we will find out if they will continue this amazing run.


Game Recap:

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Barrie Baycats on a mostly clear but muggy evening at Christie Pits.  Having won game five the night before, the visitors were one win away from a return trip to the IBL Championship Series.  Justin Cicatello made the start for the home side, matched up against Brett Lawson for Barrie.

Both sides went scoreless until the bottom of the second.  With one out and facing Lawson, catcher Will Richards hit a solo home run.  Centerfielder Tyler Mitchell followed that with a double.  A single by shortstop Connor Lewis drove him home and made it 2-0 Leafs after two.

Cicatello and Lawson both pitched 1-2-3 innings in the third.

Barrie's bats woke up in the top of the 4th.  Rightfielder Ryan Spataro singled to lead off, then stole second base.  First baseman Jordan Castaldo singled, then a walk to leftfielder Steve Lewis loaded the bases.  An excuse-me infield single by DH Jeremy Walker moved everyone up a base and scored Spataro.  Second baseman Jeff Cowan then singled to drive in both Castaldo and Lewis.  That gave Barrie a 3-2 lead midway through the fourth.

The Leafs' bats exploded in the bottom half of the inning.  Leftfielder Raul Borjas led things off with a double off of Lawson.  Richards singled next, and then Mitchell hit a three-run home run to clear the bases.  Not for long, though, as DH Brendan Keys singled.  A couple of errors saw Lewis and rightfielder Grant Tamane reach safely to load the bases.  A single by second baseman Dan Marra moved everyone up a run and scored Keys.  First baseman Jon Waltenbury was up next.  He continued his season-long vendetta against the Leafs' snack bar in centerfield, launching the first pitch from Lawson high over centerfield. It cleared the fence and thudded off the roof of the snack bar.  Grand slam.  No sooner had the bases emptied than third baseman Johnathan Solazzo blasted another first pitch from Lawson high into the evening sky.  The home run shot was about as high as the light tower in center-right, and it ended Lawson's night after just three-plus innings.  Ryan Beckett came in to record three outs and get Barrie out of the inning, but it was now 11-3 Leafs through four innings.

The home side added two more runs in the bottom of the 5th inning.  Marra singled with two outs, and then Waltenbury crushed a pitch by Beckett for a two-run home run.  13-3 Leafs after five.

Barrie fought back in the 6th.  Castaldo led off with a solo home run off Cicatello.  Walker reached first on an error, advanced to second on a single by Jeff Cowan, and both men scored on a single by shortstop Branfy Arias.  13-6 Leafs midway through six.

Tyler Mitchell hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, giving Toronto a 14-6 lead through six innings.

No lead is safe at the Pits, so the home nine kept at it.  Waltenbury reached on a walk by Beckett, as did Solazzo.  Waltenbury advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Borjas, then scored on an error to make it 15-6 Leafs.

Cicatello continued rolling through the Baycats' order, and Chris England relieved Beckett on the mound for Barrie in the bottom of the 8th.  Mitchell and Keys each singled to start off.  Lewis then hit a double that drove in Mitchell.  A putout by Tamane scored Keys, and then a single by Marra drove home Lewis.  18-6 Leafs through eight.

Facing the meat of the Barrie order in the ninth, Cicatello gave up just a walk before recording the final out of the inning and nailing down the 18-6 final.


Barrie 6-11-3
Toronto 18-23-2

W - Cicatello (3-0, 4.64)
L - Lawson (1-2, 9.91)

BOXSCORE


We are going to game seven.  The deciding game of this back-and-forth series will go later tonight at Coates Stadium, home of the Baycats.

Semi-Final Game 5: Baycats Retake Series Lead

Semi-Finals: Toronto Maple Leafs at Barrie Baycats - August 18, 2015

Baycats win 8-3

Just before midnight last night, a fog began rolling through Barrie and its surroundings, capping off a night of wild weather and closing another chapter in the playoff rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Barrie Baycats.

The arm of Santos Arias and the bat of Jordan Castaldo helped Barrie retake the lead in this series.  Santos pitched eight innings, giving up just three runs while striking out six.  Castaldo led the home side's offence with three hits and five RBIs.

The 'Cats jumped out to an early lead, but the never-say-die Torontonians almost staged another comeback.  The Leafs fought a game-long battle with Barrie's playoff ace, through darkening skies and a lengthy rain delay,  Late in the game, a rally-killing decision by the umpires went against them, and the Baycats rolled on to the win.

The Leafs' six hits were scattered throughout the game, and all went for singles.  Jon Waltenbury, Raul Borjas, and Johnathan Solazzo each drove in one of Toronto's three runs.

Following a long rain delay, the Leafs began to mount what might have been another comeback in this series.  

In the eighth inning, they loaded the bases with Waltenbury on first, Grant Tamane on second and Connor Lewis on third.  With Santos beginning to fade, Solazzo hit a single to drive in Lewis and make it a 4-3 ballgame.  Tamane got the hold signal at third.  Waltenbury rounded second, slipped on the basepaths but made it back to the bag and the umpire there called him safe.  This prompted manager Angus Roy to sprint out of the Barrie dugout, full tilt.  He argued the call and the infield umpires held a conference, after which Waltenbury was called out.  This prompted manager Damon Topolie to sprint out of the Toronto dugout, full tilt.  He argued the reversal of the call, but the home plate umpire let it stand and Waltenbury was out.  Santos got Borjas to ground out next, ending the inning, but once again a late Toronto rally had been snuffed out by an umpiring decision.  The Leafs raged at the situation, echoing a scene that had played out on this same field in game one.

Still, the Leafs had some outs left and they couldn't score any more, end of story.  Meanwhile, the Baycats pounced on Brett Van Pelt and Marek Deska in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of reach.

Toronto will have a chance to send this series to a seventh game tonight, when these two sides clash again at Christie Pits.

Game Recap:

The Barrie Baycats welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs to Coates Stadium for game five of their semi-final series, under cloudy and darkening skies.  The starting pitchers were Santos Arias and Brett Van Pelt.

The game started on time and Barrie got on the board quickly, after Santos pitched a 1-2-3 top half of the first.  Rightfielder Ryan Spataro led off with a double, then advanced to third on a putout by catcher Kyle DeGrace.  First baseman Jordan Castaldo singled to drive in Spataro.  A single by DH Jeremy Walker would also drive in Castaldo, making it 2-0 Baycats after one inning.

Barrie doubled their lead in the bottom of the 2nd.  Centerfielder Glenn Jackson singled and stole second.  Spataro was then walked by Van Pelt, and Jackson advanced to third on a flyball out by DeGrace.  Castaldo promply drove him in with his second single in as many innings.  A double by third baseman Kevin Atkinson drove in Spataro to make it 4-0 Barrie through two.

Flashes of lightning appeared on the horizon and a wall of black clouds rolled over the park as the 4th inning got underway.  Santos hit rightfielder Grant Tamane with a pitch to start the inning.  Tamane moved to second on a sacrifice by second baseman Dan Marra, and then scored on an RBI single by first baseman Jon Waltenbury.  A passed ball allowed Waltenbury to take second, and then he scored on an RBI single by leftfielder Raul Borjas.  4-2 Barrie through four.

Midway through the fifth inning, the skies finally cracked open and a steady rain came down on Coates.  The umpires quickly sent both teams to their clubhouses.  Fans scrambled to find covered areas, took shelter in their vehicles, or departed for the night.  The rain delay lasted almost an hour and a half, but when the rain finally ceased, the Barrie grounds crew restored the field to playing condition and it was game on again.

Despite the 86-minute delay, both starters returned to the mound and pitched goose eggs into the 8th inning.  The Leafs began a rally.  Shortstop Connor Lewis and Tamane each singled.  Another sacrifice by Marra moved them up a base.  Waltenbury was intentionally walked to load the bases.  A single by third baseman Johnathan Solazzo drove in Lewis, but Waltenbury was tagged out at second.  Santos got out of the inning with no further damage, but it was now a one-run ballgame, 4-3 in Barrie's favour.

The Baycats broke it open for good in the bottom of the 8th.  Shortstop Branfy Arias doubled, Jackson singled, and Spataro singled to load the bases.  Marek Deska came in to pitch in relief of Van Pelt.  He got DeGrace to strike out, but then gave up a bases-clearing double to Castaldo.  A single by leftfielder Steve Lewis drove in Castaldo and doubled Barrie's tally to 8-3 through eight.

Chris Nagorski relieved Santos and closed out the ninth to seal Barrie's 8-3 win on a wild, wet night.

Toronto 3-6-2
Barrie 8-15-0

W - Arias (3-0, 1.56)

L - Van Pelt (1-2, 7.04)

BOXSCORE

The Baycats now take a 3-2 lead in this semi-final series.  Toronto can tie it up again later tonight, in game six at Christie Pits.