Baycats win 18-8
Midway through game two of the semi-final series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Barrie Baycats, the Christie Pits scoreboard beamed out a doleful pair of digits.
Thirteen, for the number of runs the visitors had already scored.
Zero, for the number of runs plated by the home nine.
Brutal. Horrendous. A real 'Cats-tastrophe.
The Baycats had pounced on starter Brett Van Pelt, mauling him for eleven runs on nine hits. Only four of the runs were earned, as the Leafs' defence had committed five errors behind their starter. Van Pelt was driven from the game in the third inning, leaving the ball in the hands of reliever Kyle Redinger.
Despite the score, no one believed the game was out of reach yet. As the fine folke of Brantford will attest, no lead is safe at the Pits.
Just a week earlier, the Leafs had stunned the baseball world by coming back from a 12-0 deficit to win. As the sun set last night, fans on the Christie hillside wondered: could they pull it off again? They wouldn't be wackos for asking. The Playoff Leafs have demonstrated resiliency, team effort and high octane horsepower, racking up the runs when they needed to.
The Mapes had a go of it, scoring a couple of runs in the 5th inning and then rallying for six more in the bottom of the 7th. Raul Borjas, Will Richards and Tyler Mitchell each drove in a pair, and Johnathan Solazzo added another.
But Barrie didn't crumble. They tacked on some more runs of their own, and pitcher Brad Bissell shut the Leafs down in the later innings to preserve an 18-8 victory for the Baycats, who take a 2-0 series lead.
For the Leafs, the drama and heroics would have to wait for another night. There's still a lot of series left to play.
Game Recap:
The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Barrie Baycats at Christie Pits, for game two of their 2015 semi-final series. On the mound were Brett Van Pelt for Toronto, and Santos Arias for the visitors.
Barrie wasted no time in getting on the board, as rightfielder Ryan Spataro led off the first inning with a home run for a 1-0 Baycats lead.
The Baycats turned it on in the bottom of the 2nd inning, sending 11 men to the plate. Leftfielder Steve Lewis led off with a single, and second baseman reached base on an error. Both runners advanced on a groundout hit by shortstop Branfy Arias, then a walk to centerfielder Glenn Jackson loaded the bases. Spataro then reached first on an error that allowed Cowan and Lewis to score. Catcher Kyle DeGrace (above) was up next, and he belted a home run, his second in two games. First baseman Jordan Castaldo and third baseman Kevin Atkinson both singled, and Castaldo came around to score when Toronto's infield committed its third error of the inning. 7-0 Baycats after two.
The scoring attack continued into the third. Cowan reached first on an error to leadoff, then Branfy singled. A single by Jackson scored Cowan. A double by Spataro scored Arias. Jackson scored on a wild pitch, then Spataro scored on a single by DeGrace. After walking Castaldo, Van Pelt's night was over and Kyle Redinger came in to pitch. He got the next two batters out to end the inning, but it was now 11-0 Barrie after the 3rd inning.
Toronto loaded the bases in the bottom of the 3rd, but Santos got out of the jam unscathed.
A double by Jackson in the top of the 4th put two more runs on the board for Barrie, giving them a 13-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 5th, second baseman Dan Marra, first baseman Jon Waltenbury, and third baseman Johnathan Solazzo hit three straight singles, with Marra scoring on Solazzo's shot. A single by leftfielder Raul Borjas drove Waltenbury in and the Leafs were finally on the board, but down 13-2 after five innings.
A two-run home run by Branfy in the top of the 6th extended Barrie's lead to 15-2.
The Leafs went down in order in the bottom of the 6th, but that was the end of the road for Santos, who was relieved by Chris England to start the 7th. It was like night and day for the Leafs, who swarmed all over him. A single by Marra, a walk to Waltenbury, and a hit-by-pitch for Solazzo immediately loaded the bases. A single by Borjas plated Marra. A single by Richards plated Waltenbury and Solazzo. A roaring triple by centerfielder Tyler Mitchell drove in Borjas and Richards. Without recording an out, England was relieved by Brad Bissell. Facing catcher Brendan Keys, Bissell hurled a wild pitch and Mitchell raced home to score. The Baycats escaped with no further damage, but their lead was now 15-8 through seven.
In the top of the 8th, Christian Botnick relieved Redinger on the mound. Jackson hit his second double of the night and drove in a run. He then scored on a single by Spataro, which left Spataro a triple shy of the cycle. 17-8 Barrie after eight.
The visitors added one more run in the top of the 9th, when DH Jeremy Walker hit a single that scored Castaldo, making it 18-8.
Unfortunately for the Leafs, they were held to just two walks and a single over the final two innings. They stranded 12 men on base in this game, and there would be no miracle comeback at the Pits on this night.
Barrie 18-17-1
Toronto 8-11-6
W - S. Arias (2-0, 0.60)
L - Van Pelt (1-1, 6.75)
BOXSCORE
After losing the first two games of this series, the Leafs will have a chance to get right back into it in game three on Saturday night, August 15 in Barrie.
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