Leafs win 4-2
Bitchin' pitching and a couple of sweet swings helped the Toronto Maple Leafs shut down the Kitchener Panthers at Christie Pits tonight.
The Panthers arrived in Toronto with the swagger of a powerhouse team that sits second in the standings and leads the IBL in most offensive categories. They lead the league in hits, runs, RBIs, and total bases. At the start of the night, their 24 home runs also led the league.
But it would be Sean Mattson of the local nine who hit the only round tripper in this game. He cleared the centerfield fence with a two-run shot that gave the Leafs the lead in the 2nd inning. Mattson's blast was Toronto's 24th of the season, tying them with Kitchener.
In the bottom of the 4th, Mattson struck again and drove in the game winning run with a single off of starter Kyle McKay.
That was all the Leafs needed as Brett Van Pelt and Christian Botnick combined to declaw the mighty black cats. Van Pelt pitched into the 8th inning, surrendering just one run on nine hits. Botnick did the rest. Over the final 1.2 innings, he gave up just his first earned run of the season, but he also held off a late rally to preserve the win for Toronto.
Sidebar:
It takes a special kind of thrill seeking maniac to want to be a catcher.
I could never do it -- to strap on the tools of ignorance, squat down and face a barrage of fastballs, foul tips and bad bounces all night long. I'd panic and bail out during the first warmup pitch.
So I tip my hat to Brendan Keys for taking on that role for the Leafs this season. He's been scuffling at the plate lately, but got a hit tonight and took a few hard shots behind home.
Catchers have brass balls and Keys needed them in the 2nd inning, when a bunt attempt by Thomas Richards was fouled right back at him. Right back you know where. He went down like a pickerel and lay on his side as everyone looked on uncomfortably.
Perry Mader, Damon Topolie and Jon Waltenbury came over to help -- which mostly required them to stand around their catcher with concerned looks on their faces. Keys sat up for a while, his face pale and his gaze distant. Finally helped to his feet, he pulled himself back together and went right back to work, just like that. Balls of brass. He came back and hit a single in the same inning. Hero.
Game Recap:
On an evening that could be best described as "kinda coolish," the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Kitchener Panthers at Christie Pits. Brett Van Pelt made the start for the Mapes, and Kyle McKay was the Panthers' starter.
Van Pelt cruised through the first two innings, but McKay got into trouble in the bottom of the 2nd inning. He walked first baseman Johnathan Solazzo (who got caught attempting to steal second), and walked right fielder Will Richards. Third baseman Sean Mattson was up next, and he hit a McKay offering over the centerfield fence to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead after two.
The Panthers got one back immediately. Rightfielder Jonathan Brouse and shortstop Mike Glinka both singled to start the 3rd inning. A single by third baseman David Whiteside brought Brouse around to score and cut the Leafs lead in half, 2-1 after three.
The Leafs restored their two-run lead in the 4th inning. Richards drew a two-out walk off of McKay, who did himself no favours by uncorking a couple of wild pitches to Mattson. The wild pitches allowed Richards to advance to second and then to third. Mattson then singled to drive Richards in and make it 3-1 after four.
Toronto was gifted another run in the 5th. Centerfielder Connor Lewis singled and leftfielder Grant Tamane walked. DH Jon Waltenbury hit a scorcher to centerfield that was caught on the run by Tanner Nivins, but it allowed Lewis to tag up and move to third. With Solazzo batting, McKay unleashed another wild pitch (he had four on the night), and Lewis scampered home. 4-1 Leafs after the 5th inning.
Van Pelt had a great outing, scattering nothing but singles and doubles across 7.1 innings and stranding six baserunners. He turned it over to Christian Botnick, who pitched out of a jam in the 8th.
Botnick got into another jam in the 9th. Kitchener first baseman Thomas Richards led off with a walk. Pinch hitter Mike Gordner doubled. Then Brouse doubled to score Richards, but Gordner remained stuck at third. And that's where he would stay, as Botnick got the next two batters to pop out, then struck out Nivins to nail down his third save and the 4-2 final for Toronto.
Kitchener 2-11-0
Toronto 4-7-0
W - Van Pelt (3-2, 2.88)
L - McKay (1-2, 5.74)
S - Botnick (3)
BOXSCORE
The Maple Leafs are now 12-11 and 8 games behind the runaway Barrie Baycats, who are making another run at an IBL pennant. The Leafs' home-and-home series against the Panthers continues tomorrow night at Jack Kent Couch Stadium in good old Sausagetown.
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