Panthers win 10-4
Were it not for a pair of losses to the Barrie Baycats, the Toronto Maple Leafs would have been undefeated in the month of May.
The 2016 Leafs have come together as a solid unit and confidence has been running high. Around Christie Pits has swirled the idea that this club could challenge for the whole thing. But...
Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
--T.S. Eliot
The Kitchener Panthers cast the biggest shadow over the Pits last night, taking a close game and breaking it open with seven runs over the last five innings. Despite an early show of strength with home runs by Jon Waltenbury and Sean Mattson, the Leafs were unable to respond with enough firepower and lost by a final score of 10-4.
It was also a game of missed opportunities for the Mapes. They stranded the bases loaded in the 3rd and the 5th, when the game was still close. A couple of clutch at bats might have changed the outcome of the game.
A bravado pitching performance by Harold Rumion unravelled in the 7th when he loaded the bases. Reliever Dillan Mulholland was unable to stop a Kitchener rally that put four runs on the board and put the game out of reach.
The Panthers are unreal right now. They have opened the season with a seven game winning streak, during which they have racked up a run differential of 106-22.
They have been winning blowouts with scores like 14-3, 21-1 and 27-2. These are the kinds of numbers that shake a civilization.
It will be up to the next team to try and end Kitchener's streak. As for the Leafs, they'll shake it off and get right back at it.
There is a lot of season left to play.
Game Recap:
A sunny Wednesday night at Christie Pits saw the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Kitchener Panthers. Harold Rumion started for Toronto against Ian Rendon.
The Panthers wasted no time demonstrating their dominance this season. Centerfielder Tanner Nivins hit a leadoff home run to stake his club to a 1-0 lead.
The Leafs punched right back in the bottom of the first, on a solo home run by rightfielder Jon Waltenbury. 1-1 after one.
First baseman Justin Interisano hit a two-run home run off Rumion in the top of the 2nd inning and it looked like this game was going to be a slugfest. It was 3-1 Panthers midway through two innings of play.
The Leafs stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the third.
Third baseman Sean Mattson added to the home run parade with a solo blast in the bottom of the 4th that made it 3-2 Panthers.
The Panthers added another run in the 5th, when first baseman David Whiteside hit a sacrifice fly to score leftfielder Jonathan Brouse. Brouse had reached first on an error, and advanced to second and to third on two wild pitches by Rumion. 4-2 Panthers through five, as the Leafs again left the bases loaded to end the inning.
Interisano doubled to lead off the 6th, and scored on a double by rightfielder Luke Baker. 5-2 Panthers through six.
The Panthers pounced for four more runs in the top of the 7th. DH Sean Reilly was hit by a pitch from Rumion, who then walked Whiteside and gave up a single to catcher Frank Camilo Morejon. Dillan Mulholland came in to pitch for the Leafs, but the Panthers did not let up. Douse singled to score Reilly. Second baseman Mike Andrulis reached first on a fielder's choice that scored Whiteside. Another double by Baker scored both Morejon and Andrulis and made it 9-2 Panthers through seven.
Reilly hit a solo home run to give the Panthers a 10-2 lead midway through the 8th.
In the bottom of the 8th, DH Justin Marra led off with a single, and catcher Brendan Keys drove him in with a double. 10-3 Panthers after eight innings.
The Leafs added one more run in the bottom of the 9th. Centerfielder Grant Tamane singled, as did pinch hitter Matt Blair-Brown. A fielder's choice by first baseman Johnathan Solazzo moved Tamane over to third. A sac fly to center by Mattson scored Tamane, but that was the end of Toronto's challenge and the Panthers recorded a 10-4 FINAL score.
Kitchener 10-11-0
Toronto 4-10-1
BOXSCORE
W - Rendon (2-0, 2.45)
L - Rumion (0-1, 8.10)
The Maple Leafs are now 5-3 and tied for third place in the IBL standings.
Their next game is on Friday, June 3, on the road in the Telephone City where they will take on the Brantford Red Sox.
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