Baycats win 15-12 (11 innings)
They broke home plate at Christie Pits last night.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Barrie Baycats scored a total of 27 runs in Game 2 of the 2016 IBL Championship series. They stepped, stomped and slid home so often that the dish became dislodged in the top of the eleventh inning.
The home plate umpire was forced to perform some impromptu groundskeeping. After a few minutes of digging and planting, the plate was restored and the game resumed.
Barrie put five runs on the board in the top of the eleventh and held on for a 15-12 victory.
During the nearly four-hour contest, fans on the Christie hillside saw a bit of everything.
Twenty-nine hits accompanied the 27 runs scored.
Baseballs soared out of the park like frightened seagulls. Five of the home runs were hit by Toronto's "Four Batsmen of the Apocalypse": Jon Waltenbury (with two), Justin Marra, Sean Mattson and Johnathan Solazzo. Brendan Keys also crushed one, his first of the postseason.
For Barrie, Glenn Jackson hit his first postseason tater. The monster blast of the night was hit by Jordan Castaldo, who smashed one over the lights in right field. Kids are still chasing after it.
It was a high-scoring but sloppy affair. The clubs tallied a total of eight errors between them.
Starting pitchers had done well in Game 1, but they were victimized throughout Game 2. The Baycats' Matthew St. Kitts lasted 3.2 innings. His counterpart Mike Wagner pitched into the seventh. Both of them gave up eight runs (seven earned) -- that's each, not combined.
Other scenes: Barrie's third baseman took a bad hop to the head. Toronto's third baseman ended up on the pitcher's mound. An umpire had to calm things down after the escalation of some jawing between the Barrie outfield and Toronto bullpen late in the game.
That was as heated as things got, however. It's been a ferociously competitive series so far, but the respect between these two sides remains unshaken.
With a hit here or a play there, Toronto might have taken both games, but that's baseball. The Leafs are now down 2-0 in this series, but they were in the same situation against the London Majors in the semifinals.
The series will now take a two-day break before resuming Saturday night in Barrie.
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| The Four Batsmen of the Apocalypse (Marra, Waltenbury, Mattson and Solazzo) combined for five home runs. |
Game Recap:
It was a cool and windy night at Christie Pits as the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Barrie Baycats for Game 2 of the 2016 IBL Championship series. Mike Wagner was on the mound for the home nine against Matthew St. Kitts for the visitors.
Unlike the previous night's pitchers' duel, both clubs started scoring right away.
Barrie rightfielder Ryan Spataro led off with a single and catcher Kyle DeGrace was hit by a pitch from Wagner. A single by third baseman Kevin Atkinson drove in Spataro, and DeGrace scored when second baseman Jeff Cowan reached first on an error. 2-0 Barrie after a half inning of play.
Toronto fired back in the bottom of the first. Leftfielder Grant Tamane walked and first baseman Jon Waltenbury reached on an error. Catcher Justin Marra then blasted a three-run homer to give the Leafs a 3-2 lead after one inning of play.
The Baycats reclaimed the lead in the top of the 2nd, on a two-run home run by centerfielder Glenn Jackson. That made it 4-3 Barrie after the 2nd.
Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 3rd.
Waltenbury launched a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 4-4 after three.
The clubs kept wailing on each other's pitching in the 4th inning. First baseman Jordan Castaldo hit a towering 3-run homer over the right field lights to give Barrie a 7-4 lead. Rightfielder Brendan Keys and Waltenbury each hit two-run bombs in the bottom of the inning to put Toronto back ahead, 8-7. Brett Lawson finished the inning on the mound for Barrie as the game moved to the 5th.
Wagner and Lawson traded goose eggs in the 5th inning.
Shortstop Branfy Infante was hit by a Wagner pitch to start the top of the 6th. Infante scored on a double by Jackson, and it was 8-8 after six innings.
Barrie loaded the bases with two out in the top of the 7th, but Justin Cicatello came in to get the final out and preserve the tie.
Toronto again took the lead in the bottom of the 7th. Tamane singled to lead off. Waltenbury followed him to the plate and appeared to hit into a double play. However, Cowan got the ball and threw wide to second, allowing Tamane to move all the way to third and Waltenbury reached first safely. Justin Marra then hit a sac fly to score Tamane and give Toronto a 9-8 lead through seven.
The see-saw battle continued in the top of the 8th. Jackson walked and Spataro singled. DeGrace then reached safely on an error at third and the bases were loaded. A wild pitch from Cicatello allowed Jackson to dash home, and then Spataro scored on a groundout by Atkinson. 10-9 Barrie after eight.
Down to their final three outs, the Leafs faced Adam Hawes on the mound. Waltenbury led off with a single, Justin Marra followed with a single, and both runners advanced on a ground out by DH Sean Mattson. Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo then struck out. With two outs, shortstop Ryan White grounded to Infante, who bobbled the ball long enough for everyone to be safe, including Waltenbury who crossed home plate to make it 10-10 and send the game to the 10th inning.
Cicatello and Hawes each pitched a scoreless half of the 10th.
In the top of the 11th, Solazzo replaced Cicatello on the mound and Mattson took over at third. Solazzo struck out two batters and walked Cowan. With two outs, Infante singled and Jackson walked to load the bases. Spataro then drilled a shot that got past Mattson (who was charged with an error on the play). Cowan scored on the play. Next up was DeGrace, who singled in Infante and Jackson. Castaldo then doubled to drive home Spataro and DeGrace. When the dust settled, the Baycats had put five runs on the board and held a 15-10 advantage midway through the 11th.
Mattson earned a measure of redemption with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 11th. Solazzo also took revenge with a solo blast right after that. Hawes then retired two batters in a row before surrendering a single to Keys. Centerfielder Connor Lewis followed with a double that moved Keys to third. Hawes then struck out Tamane to end the game with a 15-12 FINAL score for Barrie.
Barrie 15-12-5
Toronto 12-17-3
W - Hawes (1-0, 2.57)
L - Solazzo (0-2, 0.00)
BOXSCORE
The championship series will resume this Saturday night, September 3, at Coates Stadium in Barrie.
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