Bandits win 8-7
One of the eternal rules of baseball: don't play for a tie on the road.
The Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in that situation in both games of a doubleheader in Burlington today. Both times, they tied the game in the top of the 7th inning, but they couldn't get that all-important extra run across the plate.* Both times, the home side walked off with a win.
The second game of today's doubleheader at Nelson Park started off as a home run derby for the Bandits. They klouted three homers in the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead.
The Leafs rallied in the 5th inning, sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs to tie the game.
The Bandits belted another long ball to retake the lead in the 6th.
The Leafs rallied again in the 7th, scoring three runs to tie the game at seven-apiece. But they had left the door open for the Bandits to sneak off with another walkoff win, and it came off their fifth homer of the afternoon.
By then, I'd spent over five hours melting in the humidity. My photos from game two are laughably bad. My brain was on fire like the day-glo flames that blaze across Johnathan Solazzo's new shoe tops.
* IBL doubleheaders are seven innings long.
Game Recap:
The second game of this doubleheader saw Brandon Nemeti make the start for the Burlington Bandits against Kyle Redinger of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the bottom of the first inning, centerfielder Shaun Cooper hit a solo home run to give Burlington a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, second baseman George Halim hit a solo home run to give Burlington a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning, leftfielder Justin Gideon hit a two-run homer to give Burlington a 4-0 lead.
Nemeti pitched into the top of the 5th, when the Leafs scored a flurry of runs off him to tie the game. DH Gianfranco Morello led off with a triple to deep centerfield. Nemeti struck the next two batters out, but then he walked third baseman Sean Mattson. First baseman Johnathan Solazzo then doubled to drive them both in. An RBI single by leftfielder Raul Borjas scored Solazzo. Borjas moved to second base on a wild pitch, then scored on an RBI single by second baseman Dan Marra. 4-4 midway through the 5th inning.
In the bottom of the 5th, Gideon hit his second two-run home run of the afternoon, to make it 6-4 Burlington.
The Bandits added a run in the bottom of the 6th. DH Jordan Boston singled to lead off. He was out on a fielder's choice that placed first baseman Jim Martin at first base. Martin then moved to third on a double by catcher Kevin Hussey. An RBI single by second baseman George Halim brought Martin in to score and make it 7-4 after six innings.
The Leafs mounted another comeback in their final at bats of the game. Solazzo led off the seventh with a single off reliever Tyler Simmons. Borjas followed with a single, as did centerfielder Tyler Mitchell, driving in Solazzo. An RBI single by Brendan Keys drove in Borjas. Pinch hitter Damon Topolie hit a sac fly that scored Mitchell and the game was tied 7-7 going into the bottom of the 7th.
After striking off the leadoff batter, Christian Botnick gave up a solo home run to shortstop Keith Kandel, and the Bandits walked off with an 8-7 final.
Toronto 7-12-0
Burlington 8-10-0
W - Simmons (2-0, 8.73)
L - Botnick (2-2, 5.02)
BOXSCORE
The Leafs are caught in a 4-game losing streak, and their record is now 13-16. They are 10 games behind the Barrie Baycats and now just a half game ahead of the Bandits, who are riding a 4-game winning streak. These two clubs will meet again tomorrow at Christie Pits.
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