Leafs win 8-5 (12 inn.)
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| FILE PHOTO |
Bam!
Put a number 3 on this kid's back. It's already there. It's Ryan White, and his 2-run home run won the game for the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.
After 12 innings of play at Labatt Memorial Park, the Leafs emerged with an 8-5 victory over the London Majors.
White's winning wallop came on a night when starting pitcher Justin Cicatello defied everything it means to be human and pitched 11 innings for the Mapes.
Cicatello threw 151 pitches, gave up 12 hits, struck out nine and walked just one.
The Leafs and Majors fought a close battle throughout the game. Toronto had small leads of one or two runs until London tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the 7th.
Facing his former team in the top of the 12th, pinch hitter Julio Guzman tripled. That set the stage for White, who smashed a first pitch home run to put the Leafs ahead for good. An insurance run driven in by Jon Waltenbury made it 8-5.
Matt Fiorini came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th. He struck out two Majors and completed a 1-2-3 inning to record the save and secure the win for Cicatello.
Game Recap:
The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their road trip with a stop at Labatt Memorial Park to face the London Majors. Elis Jimenez was the home starting pitcher, facing Justin Cicatello for the visitors.
The Majors got on the board first. Second baseman Chris McQueen singled and stole second. Shortstop Keith Kandel followed with an RBI double as McQueen came around to score. 1-0 Majors after the first inning of play.
Toronto took the lead in the 3rd inning. Leftfielder Argenis Vargas, centerfielder Grant Tamane, and shortstop Ryan White each singled. A wild pitch from Jimenez allowed Vargas to score and the other baserunners to advance. First baseman Jon Waltenbury then singled to score Tamane. Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo followed with a single of his own to score White, and it was 3-1 Leafs through three.
London got a run back in the 4th. Centerfielder Byron Reichstein led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch from Cicatello. First baseman Cleveland Brownlee then singled to score Reichstein. 3-2 Leafs after four.
Designated hitter Justin Marra led off the top of the 5th with a solo home run -- his first career IBL home run.
In the bottom of the 5th, McQueen singled again, and advanced to third on a single by Kandel. Cicatello was then called for a balk, allowing McQueen to cross home plate. That made the score 4-3 after five innings of play.
In the top of the 7th, Solazzo reached first base on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch. He proceeded to third on a single by catcher Will Richards. Second baseman Dan Marra was up next, and he reached first safely on an error by London catcher Michael Ambrose. Solazzo scored on the play and made it 5-3 Leafs midway through the 7th inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Cicatello walked third baseman Sean Refflinghaus, who was then lifted for pinch runner Carlos Arteaga. Left fielder Humberto Ruiz then hit into a fielder's choice, reaching first base while Arteaga was put out at second. A groundout by McQueen moved Ruiz to third. Kandel then singled to score Ruiz, and advanced to second on an error by Cicatello. Reichstein was up next, and he rapped a double to score Kandel and tie the game 5-5 after seven innings.
A stalemate ensued. Cicatello continued to pitch through the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh (!) innings. All told, he faced 43 batters on the night, threw 151 pitches and was the pitcher of record when the 12th inning commenced.
Pinch hitter Julio Guzman hit a one-out triple off of reliever Braeden Ferrington. Then with two outs, White stepped up to the plate and crushed the first pitch he saw for a home run. It was White's first career IBL home run, like that of Justin Marra who followed him to the plate. Marra doubled and the hook came out for Ferrington. He was replaced by Jordan Skavinsky, who gave up a single to Waltenbury. That scored Marra and made it 8-5 Leafs.
Matt Fiorini relieved Cicatello in the bottom of the 12th, and set the Majors down in order to nail down his first save of the season and an 8-5 FINAL for the Leafs.
Toronto 8-21-2
London 5-12-3
W - Cicatello (2-0, 3.42)
L - Ferrington (1-1, 4.05)
S - Fiorini (1)
BOXSCORE
The Maple Leafs are now tied for second place in the IBL standings with a 4-2 record. They return to Christie Pits on Sunday, May 29 to face the Hamilton Cardinals.
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