Leafs win 10-6 (win series 4-3)
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For the first time since 2007, the Toronto Maple Leafs are headed to the IBL Championship Series.
Tonight at Labatt Memorial Park, the Leafs won in grand style, scoring six runs in the top of the 9th inning to overtake the London Majors and win Game 7 of their semifinal series 10-6.
The Majors led the game all the way from the first inning as the Leafs battled to stay alive. London starter Elis Jimenez held Toronto at bay for 8.1 innings. When he finally turned it over to the bullpen, the visitors went on a hitting rampage.
Grant Tamane (above) hit a two-run home run off of reliever Cory Hammond to put Toronto ahead for good.
Was he surprised to see Jimenez depart the game at such a crucial moment?
"No, Jimenez had been throwing a great game but I knew he had thrown a lot of pitches," Tamane said afterwards.
With the game tied and a new pitcher on the mound, Tamane resisted any mental flights of fancy and focused on hitting the ball hard.
"I had been getting jammed all game and knew a fastball was coming inside and just reacted to it."
While Tamane's winning blast was the story of the night, Ryan White also had two RBIs, and Jon Waltenbury, Sean Mattson and Connor Lewis each drove in one.
On the mound, Brett van Pelt battled the Majors into the fourth inning before turning it over to Justin Cicatello, who held the home side to just one run over the final five innings.
Through the first two rounds of this postseason, the story of the Leafs has been a different man stepping up to be the difference maker when it mattered most. Whether on the mound, in the field or at the plate, it's been a different hero every night. No one player has carried this team -- they have each taken turns bearing the load.
"I think everyone on this team believes in each other which helps," Tamane said. "No one can be perfect every game. I had my bad games at the beginning of the series and the guys had my back. It was time I helped out the team after Lewis had a clutch hit before me in the ninth."
Your Toronto Maple Leafs -- a team of heroes, moving on to play for the trophy that bears their club owner's name.
Game Recap:
It was the second time in this postseason that the Toronto Maple Leafs stretched their opponents to seven games. Semifinal Game 7 against the London Majors took place at Labatt Memorial Park. On the mound were the same starters from Games 1 and 4 -- Elis Jimenez for London and Brett van Pelt for Toronto.
Jimenez cruised through a 1-2-3 top of the 1st inning.
Leftfielder RJ Fuhr led off the bottom of the 1st with a walk. He advanced to second on a sac bunt by shortstop Keith Kandel, and scored on a single by catcher Michael Ambrose. 1-0 Majors after one inning of play.
The Majors tacked on two more in the bottom of the 2nd. Rightfielder LeJon Baker singled, and DH Humberto Ruiz singled right behind him. An error by van Pelt then allowed Baker to come all the way around to score, and Ruiz ended up on third base. Ruiz scored on a flyout by shortstop Keith Kandel to make it 3-0 Majors through two.
Jimenez and van Pelt both pitched a scoreless 3rd inning.
The Leafs bats awoke in the top of the 4th, as first baseman Jon Waltenbury and catcher Justin Marra each singled to start the inning. Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo then drubbed an RBI single that brought Waltenbury in to score and moved Marra to second. 3-1 Majors midway through the 4th.
London extended their lead in the bottom of the 4th. Ruiz led off with a single and then stole second and third. A double by Fuhr drove him in. A double by Kandel then plated Fuhr. Justin Cicatello relieved van Pelt after 3.2 innings and got out of it with no further damage. 5-1 Majors through four.
The Leafs got those two runs back in the top of the 5th. Second baseman Dan Marra singled, then moved to second on a groundout by rightfielder Brendan Keys. Centerfielder Connor Lewis then reached base safely on an error by second baseman Chris McQueen. Marra scored on the play. A double by Waltenbury then drove in Lewis to make it a 5-3 ballgame, London still ahead after five.
Jimenez and Cicatello traded scoreless 6th and 7th innings.
Leftfielder Grant Tamane led off the top of the 8th with a single, and took second on an error by Kandel. He scored on an RBI single by DH Sean Mattson. That made it 5-4 Majors midway through the 8th.
Cicatello pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 8th, bringing the Leafs down to their final three outs.
Dan Marra led off the 9th inning for Toronto with a single. He moved to second on a passed ball. Going for the complete game, Jimenez retired the next batter, but then gave up a double to Lewis and Marra crossed the plate with the tying run. That ended Jimenez's night as Cory Hammond came on in relief. The first batter he faced was Tamane, who belted his second home run in two nights, a two-run shot off the light tower in left that gave the Leafs a 7-5 lead. Waltenbury was up next, and he singled. Justin Marra then drew a walk. Mattson then kept the rally going with an RBI single that scored Waltenbury. Solazzo singled to load the bases. With the bullpen dumpster fire raging out of control, Hammond got the hook without recording an out. In came Jordan Skavinsky, who promptly gave up a 2-run single to shortstop Ryan White, scoring Marra and Mattson. Saving their One Big Inning for the very end, the Leafs took a 10-5 lead into the bottom of the 9th.
With one pitch from Cicatello, Waltenbury recorded an unassisted out at first on a hit by third baseman Carlos Arteaga. McQueen then reached first on an error by White. Fuhr flew out for the second out. The nerves were showing as the Leafs committed their second error of the inning, on a hit by Kandel. He reached first safely on the play and McQueen came around to score. But that would be all as Ambrose flew out to Lewis in center for the last out of the game and a 10-6 FINAL for Toronto.
Toronto 10-16-3
London 6-9-3
W - Cicatello
L - Jimenez
BOXSCORE
Having dispatched the 2016 IBL pennant winners, the Maple Leafs move on to the finals, where they will face the 2015 IBL champions, the Barrie Baycats. Schedule and preview coming soon.
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