Leafs win 17-9
Nelson Park in Burlington is a multi-purpose sporting facility, serving the partakers of track and field, football, soccer and baseball.
Earlier this afternoon, Nelson Park was converted into a driving range.
The Toronto Maple Leafs teed off on Burlington Bandits pitchers for 22 hits en route to a 17-9 win. Along the way, the Leafs smashed seven home runs.
Justin Marra led the way with three homers. Jon Waltenbury slammed two, and Ryan White and Brendan Keys each hit one out.
It was White who began the bombing assault with a three-run shot in the first inning. That was the beginning of a long afternoon of "home run celebration" photography, and an even longer afternoon for the Banditos.
Each man in Toronto's batting order got at least one hit. Waltenbury had four on the day, bumping his average up to a team-leading .447. Connor Lewis, Justin Marra, Dan Marra and White each had three hits.
There was an early moment of concern for the V-necks. Starting pitcher Justin Cicatello felt something in his elbow in the second inning, and came out of the game as a precaution. "Better safe than sorry" was the message from the Leafs' training staff. It was left to a relief corps of Matt Fiorini, Cameron Gray and Adam Marra to carry the burden under a sweltering sun. The three relievers combined for 7.2 innings of work and Fiorini earned the win.
Credit Burlington for putting nine runs on the board with 13 hits, but the bombardment from Toronto was too much to overcome on this day.
Earlier this afternoon, Nelson Park was converted into a driving range.
The Toronto Maple Leafs teed off on Burlington Bandits pitchers for 22 hits en route to a 17-9 win. Along the way, the Leafs smashed seven home runs.
Justin Marra led the way with three homers. Jon Waltenbury slammed two, and Ryan White and Brendan Keys each hit one out.
It was White who began the bombing assault with a three-run shot in the first inning. That was the beginning of a long afternoon of "home run celebration" photography, and an even longer afternoon for the Banditos.
Each man in Toronto's batting order got at least one hit. Waltenbury had four on the day, bumping his average up to a team-leading .447. Connor Lewis, Justin Marra, Dan Marra and White each had three hits.
There was an early moment of concern for the V-necks. Starting pitcher Justin Cicatello felt something in his elbow in the second inning, and came out of the game as a precaution. "Better safe than sorry" was the message from the Leafs' training staff. It was left to a relief corps of Matt Fiorini, Cameron Gray and Adam Marra to carry the burden under a sweltering sun. The three relievers combined for 7.2 innings of work and Fiorini earned the win.
Credit Burlington for putting nine runs on the board with 13 hits, but the bombardment from Toronto was too much to overcome on this day.
Game Recap:
The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their end-of-the-week road trip with a stop in Burlington to face the cellar-dwelling Bandits. Jack Dennis made the start for the home side against Justin Cicatello for the visitors.
The Leafs ran out an alternate lineup for this game, as several regular starters took a day off from the field.
If the first inning was any indication, it looked like everyone was in store for a long afternoon at Nelson Park. Fortunately the Bandits provide one of the best ballpark experiences in the IBL so it wasn't that bad a prospect.
Shortstop Connor Lewis led the game off with a single. Second baseman Grant Tamane followed with his team-leading 17th walk of the season. After a groundout by rightfielder Jon Waltenbury, third baseman Ryan White stepped up to the plate and hit a three-run home run. Catcher Justin Marra was up next, and he bashed a solo home run. First baseman Damon Topolie followed with a single, and he advanced to third on a ground rule double hit by DH Dan Marra. A sac fly by leftfielder Brendan Keys scored Topolie and the Leafs were off to a 5-0 lead after a half inning of play.
For Burlington, centerfielder Justin Gideon led off the bottom of the 1st with a single, but he was wiped out attempting to steal second. Rightfielder Canice Ejoh reached first on an error, and moved to second when first baseman Jim Martin walked. A double by Kevin Hussey scored Ejoh and moved Martin to third. A 6-3 groundout by leftfielder Carlos Villoria scored Martin. A single by third baseman Shawn Mayhew scored Hussey and made it 5-3 Leafs after the 1st inning.
The scoring continued in the second inning. After Tamane singled, Waltenbury hit a home run to make it 7-3 Leafs.
Cicatello came out of the game after just 1.1 innings, departing with Gideon on first base following a fielder's choice. Matt Fiorini took to the mound in relief. He gave up a single to Martin, then a double to Hussey that scored Gideon. A single by Villoria then brought both of them in to score, and after a wild couple of innings it was a 7-6 ballgame with Toronto leading.
In the top of the third, Keys reached first on an error but was eliminated on a fielder's choice by centerfielder Troy Daring. Lewis was up next, and he hit a rampaging triple to drive in Daring. Lewis himself came in to score on the play when the throw to third was misplayed for an error, allowing Lewis to trot home. 9-6 Leafs after three innings.
After White walked to start the 4th, Justin Marra hit his second home run of the day. Later in the inning, Keys reached first on an error, advanced to second on a single by Daring, then came around to score on a single by Lewis that the Bandits played for an error. 12-6 Leafs after four innings.
In the bottom of the 5th, DH Julian Johnson reached first on an error. Fiorini then walked second baseman Nolan Pettipiece, and hit Gideon with a pitch to load the bases. Ejoh singled next, scoring Johnson. Hussey hit a single that scored both Pettipiece and Gideon and after five innings of play the Leafs still enjoyed a 12-9 lead.
Cameron Gray relieved Fiorini with one out in the bottom of the 6th, and kept Burlington off the board despite loading the bases.
The Leafs went on a home run spree in the 7th, as Waltenbury hit his second of the day, Marra hit his third of the day, and Keys hit his first of the season, a two-run shot following a single by Dan Marra. 16-9 Leafs midway through seven.
Adam Marra came in to pitch the 7th, and faced the minimum to get out of the inning.
After a scoreless 8th, Justin Marra led off the top of the 9th with a walk. He moved to second on a single by brother Dan, moved to third on a putout by Keys, and scored on a single by Daring. 17-9 Leafs with the Bandits down to their final outs.
Two errors in the bottom of the 9th put two baserunners on board for Burlington, but Adam Marra got out of the inning unscathed and locked down a 17-9 FINAL for the Leafs, a game that took three-and-a-half hours to grind through.
The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their end-of-the-week road trip with a stop in Burlington to face the cellar-dwelling Bandits. Jack Dennis made the start for the home side against Justin Cicatello for the visitors.
The Leafs ran out an alternate lineup for this game, as several regular starters took a day off from the field.
If the first inning was any indication, it looked like everyone was in store for a long afternoon at Nelson Park. Fortunately the Bandits provide one of the best ballpark experiences in the IBL so it wasn't that bad a prospect.
Shortstop Connor Lewis led the game off with a single. Second baseman Grant Tamane followed with his team-leading 17th walk of the season. After a groundout by rightfielder Jon Waltenbury, third baseman Ryan White stepped up to the plate and hit a three-run home run. Catcher Justin Marra was up next, and he bashed a solo home run. First baseman Damon Topolie followed with a single, and he advanced to third on a ground rule double hit by DH Dan Marra. A sac fly by leftfielder Brendan Keys scored Topolie and the Leafs were off to a 5-0 lead after a half inning of play.
For Burlington, centerfielder Justin Gideon led off the bottom of the 1st with a single, but he was wiped out attempting to steal second. Rightfielder Canice Ejoh reached first on an error, and moved to second when first baseman Jim Martin walked. A double by Kevin Hussey scored Ejoh and moved Martin to third. A 6-3 groundout by leftfielder Carlos Villoria scored Martin. A single by third baseman Shawn Mayhew scored Hussey and made it 5-3 Leafs after the 1st inning.
The scoring continued in the second inning. After Tamane singled, Waltenbury hit a home run to make it 7-3 Leafs.
Cicatello came out of the game after just 1.1 innings, departing with Gideon on first base following a fielder's choice. Matt Fiorini took to the mound in relief. He gave up a single to Martin, then a double to Hussey that scored Gideon. A single by Villoria then brought both of them in to score, and after a wild couple of innings it was a 7-6 ballgame with Toronto leading.
In the top of the third, Keys reached first on an error but was eliminated on a fielder's choice by centerfielder Troy Daring. Lewis was up next, and he hit a rampaging triple to drive in Daring. Lewis himself came in to score on the play when the throw to third was misplayed for an error, allowing Lewis to trot home. 9-6 Leafs after three innings.
After White walked to start the 4th, Justin Marra hit his second home run of the day. Later in the inning, Keys reached first on an error, advanced to second on a single by Daring, then came around to score on a single by Lewis that the Bandits played for an error. 12-6 Leafs after four innings.
In the bottom of the 5th, DH Julian Johnson reached first on an error. Fiorini then walked second baseman Nolan Pettipiece, and hit Gideon with a pitch to load the bases. Ejoh singled next, scoring Johnson. Hussey hit a single that scored both Pettipiece and Gideon and after five innings of play the Leafs still enjoyed a 12-9 lead.
Cameron Gray relieved Fiorini with one out in the bottom of the 6th, and kept Burlington off the board despite loading the bases.
The Leafs went on a home run spree in the 7th, as Waltenbury hit his second of the day, Marra hit his third of the day, and Keys hit his first of the season, a two-run shot following a single by Dan Marra. 16-9 Leafs midway through seven.
Adam Marra came in to pitch the 7th, and faced the minimum to get out of the inning.
After a scoreless 8th, Justin Marra led off the top of the 9th with a walk. He moved to second on a single by brother Dan, moved to third on a putout by Keys, and scored on a single by Daring. 17-9 Leafs with the Bandits down to their final outs.
Two errors in the bottom of the 9th put two baserunners on board for Burlington, but Adam Marra got out of the inning unscathed and locked down a 17-9 FINAL for the Leafs, a game that took three-and-a-half hours to grind through.
Toronto 17-22-4
Burlington 9-13-4
W - Fiorini (1-0, 3.68)
L - Dennis (0-3, 9.00)
With a 7-5 record, the Maple Leafs enjoy sole possession of third place in the IBL standings. Their next game is back home at Christie Pits tomorrow afternoon, June 12, against the London Majors.
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