Party of Nine

Game 14: Toronto Maple Leafs at Hamilton Cardinals, June 30, 2018 (rescheduled game)

Leafs win 13-5

For the first two months of this IBL season, the Hamilton Cardinals have been a travelling team.

Waiting for their new field to be game-ready, the Cards have roamed the ballparks of the IBL, playing "home" games at Burlington, Guelph, even Welland. This past weekend, they ended their nomadic ways with a celebratory return to Bernie Arbour Stadium.

The Toronto Maple Leafs crashed the party on Saturday with a 13-5 blowout. Justin Marra (number 9 above) led the way, going 4-for-6 with five RBIs and a first inning home run. 

It was a brutally hot afternoon on the mountain. Fans sought out every available patch of shade in the ballpark. An ambulance circled the parking lot ominously.

The Cardinals jumped ahead in the bottom of the first, hitting a series of flares off of starter Marek Deska. They racked up four runs off six hits and gave the home supporters something to cheer about early on.

Hamilton added one more run in the bottom of the second to take a 5-1 lead. That would be the end of their scoring fun for the day. Deska hunkered down and pitched a couple of scoreless innings to get through the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Leafs' bats began to claw their way back to victory. In the top of the third, catcher Mike Reeves drew a two-out walk, which was followed by a single by Justin Marra, who was playing first base. Centerfielder Marcus Knecht walked to load the bases. Third baseman Johnathan Solazzo was walked next and Reeves trotted home. Rightfielder Zac Orchard kept the slow march going with yet another walk and Marra crossed the plate to make it a 5-3 ballgame through three.

Justin Marra figured in the scoring again in the top of the fourth. With two men on and two out, he lofted a flyball that bounced off the leftfielder's glove and landed safely for an error. Both baserunners scored and the game was tied 5-5 after four.

The game was temporarily halted at this point, as the home plate umpire was unable to continue. He departed the game, leaving one of the infield umps to take over behind the plate. Play resumed after a 15-minute delay.

The Leafs returned to the field with Justin Cicatello on the mound, and he pitched a perfect frame to start the fifth.

Hamilton starter Krystien Johnson-Battilana kept the score tied through five innings. He then turned it over to reliever Zackary Gonzalez, who recorded two outs to start the top of the sixth. This brought Marra back to the plate. Marra smashed a pitch deep to right field, and it slipped under the fence for a ground-rule double. A single by Knecht drove him home and gave the lead back to Toronto, 6-5.

The game remained close until the ninth inning, when the wheels fell off for Hamilton. Reliever Nick Virdo was the victim in a brutal inning that saw some errors and some controversial calls. It also saw the Leafs put the game out of reach with a seven-run rampage off six hits and a walk. Knecht hit a single and a double, Marra doubled, and Solazzo, second baseman Garrett Takamatsu and leftfielder Greg Carrington each singled. When it was finally over, the Leafs enjoyed an eight-run lead.

Over five innings of work, Cicatello gave up just two hits while striking out three. The Cards went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth and Cicatello picked up his second win of the season in a 13-5 final. Party of nine, right this way.


Toronto 13-13-2
Hamilton 5-10-5

W - Cicatello (2-0, 0.00)
L - Gonzalez (0-4, 5.28)


BOXSCORE


This home-and-home series would continue with a Canada Day sequel at Christie Pits.