Maple Leafs Weekly Recap - May 23 to 29, 2022
The Leafs faced the Welland Jackfish in a home-and-home series and got schooled
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| On Sunday afternoon, Justin Marra applauds Brady Cerkownyk's home run, his first round trip at Christie Pits. |
It was supposed to be a great weekend of sport fishing.
After beating the Kitchener Panthers on Thursday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs set their sights on the IBL's number one undefeated team, the Welland Jackfish.
The clubs played a home-and-home series on the weekend. The Leafs looked to land a couple of big ones and get into the race for the league pennant.
Both games started well, with the Leafs taking an early lead. But before the boat drinks could be passed around, disaster struck. Lines snapped, rods broke, the Leafs hit the rocks and the boat overturned. The Jackfish swam away with a series sweep.
On the plus side, the Leafs' junior callups continue to show promise. Brady Cerkownyk homered twice on the weekend, including the first round trip of the season at Christie Pits. On the mound, Sebastian Kahn and Rhys Montgomery are racking up the innings under the tutelage of Damon Topolie and Dustin Richardson.
The month of May ended on a sour note but this expanded season is only getting started.
Thursday, May 26, 2022 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Kitchener Panthers
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| Jordan Castaldo puts the Leafs on the board with a home run. (Image: Panthers Baseball Online YouTube) |
A good ol' fashioned slugfest broke out at Jack Couch Park on Thursday night.
When the dust settled, the Toronto Maple Leafs emerged on top of a 12-9 final over the Kitchener Panthers.
The back-and-forth battle began in the bottom of the 2nd, when the Panthers touched started Marek Deska for a couple of runs.
The Leafs immediately responded in the top of the 3rd. Left fielder Grant Tamane led off with a single, and then first baseman Jordan Castaldo blasted a pitch from Jorden Carthy over the fence to meet its cruel fate somewhere on the Conestoga Parkway. The Leafs added two more to take a 4-2 lead through three.
The lead was extended in the 4th when second baseman Dan Marra launched a two-run homer of his own to make it 6-2 Leafs.
The Panthers roared back with five runs off Deska in the bottom of the 4th and took a 7-6 lead.
Did I say slugfest? Honestly this game was more like a grudge match. In the top of the 7th, the Leafs loaded the bases, and then reliever Luis Grisanti walked in the tying run. That was followed by a two-run single by catcher Justin Marra and the Leafs went back ahead 9-7.
The Leafs kept at it in the 8th. Four singles in a row scored a pair of runs, and Tamane drove in one more with a ground out. It was 12-7 Leafs through their half of the 8th.
The Black Cats scratched out a couple of runs late, but their comeback failed and Zack Sloan was the winning pitcher in a 12-9 FINAL.
Player of the game was Jordan Castaldo, who went 2 for 3 with a home run and 3 walks.
Toronto 12 13 4
Kitchener 9 15 3
W - Sloan (1-1. 1.80)
L - Grisanti (0-1, 0.00)
Saturday, May 28, 2022 - Toronto Maple Leafs at Welland Jackfish
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| The Jackfish won a wild comeback in Welland. (Image: Welland Jackfish YouTube) |
Sport fishing weekend kicked off at Welland Stadium. The Leafs hoped to land a big one but caught nothing but seaweed.
Early on, the fishing was easy for the Leafs. In the top of the 1st inning, they were gifted a run without swinging a bat. Walk, Walk, Hit By Pitch, Walk. 1-0.
In the top of the 3rd, another HBP and another walk made it 3-0.
The Leafs added four more runs in the top of the 4th. First baseman Aiden McKaskie doubled in a pair of runs, and catcher Brady Cerkownyk hit a two-run homer to put the Leafs ahead 7-0. Break out the boat drinks!
Starter Sebastian Kahn pitched five shutout innings before surrendering a pair in the 6th.
But then everything went to hell in the 7th. Welland went wild, scoring seven runs off seven hits and and error. They took a 9-7 lead and added one more in the 8th to go up 10-7.
The Leafs tried a comeback in the 9th and pushed reliever Chris Boatto to the brink. RBI singles by second baseman Garrett Takamatsu and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo brought the Leafs to within a run, but they got no further and sank on the losing end of a 10-9 FINAL.
Toronto 9 9 2
Welland 10 10 0
W - Underhill (1-0, 8.30)
L - Nagorski (0-1, 6.00)
S - Boatto (2)
Sunday, May 29, 2022 - Welland Jackfish at Toronto Maple Leafs
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| Gregory Carrington's solo home run in the 8th launched the Leafs' late comeback attempt. |
On Sunday afternoon, the Leafs welcomed the Jackfish to Christie Pits hoping to split the series.
Unlike the previous weekend's crummy weather and meagre attendance, the Pits were alive once again. Sunbathers basked in the heat and Al Ross's ticket-selling apprentices worked the ballpark. Christie's hardcore fans and paparazzi buzzed around the infield fences.
Up on the hillsides, the bush was packed and the Bushmen were a chorus of misery for Welland starter Rich Corrente. By the end of the 2nd inning, the burly bearded pitcher had surrendered 4 hits, including doubles by first baseman Garrett Takamatsu and right fielder Justin Marra. Catcher Brady Cerkownyk provided an exclamation point by blasting a 2-run homer, and the Leafs led 3-0 after two. The Bushmen poked the softer points of Corrente's psyche and narrated his every mistake.
Making their Toronto Maple Leaf debuts were starting pitcher Mason Fenwick and import player Jose Vinicio. The shortstop introduced himself to the Pits with a single in his first at bat, punctuated by a headfirst slide to the bag.
It was all jolly good fun until the 3rd, when Fenwick gave up five runs on four hits and two walks. A two-run homer by Ethan Hunt put the Jackfish ahead 5-3.
Welland added a run in the 5th and two more in the 8th to make the score 8-3.
The inevitable Leafs comeback attempt got rolling in the bottom of the 8th. Centerfielder Gregory Carrington smacked his first home run of the season, and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo hit a two-run single that made it 8-6 going into the 9th.
But the 'Fish got away this day. Burly bearded reliever Scott Gillespie closed out a three-inning save for Welland and an 8-6 FINAL.
Welland 8 12 1
Toronto 6 9 0
At 2-4, the Leafs are in 7th place, 3 1/2 games behind the still-undefeated Welland Jackfish.
The week ahead:
Wednesday, June 1 - Barrie Baycats vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm at Christie Pits
Friday, June 3 - Toronto Maple Leafs at London Majors, 7:35 pm at Labatt Memorial Park
Sunday, June 5 - Guelph Royals vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 2:00 pm at Christie Pits
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