Panthers win 9-3
Panthers lead series 3-0
If they're going to do this, they're doing to do it the hard way.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a three-game deficit to climb out of, after a 9-3 loss to the Kitchener Panthers in Game 3 of their semifinal series. Even then, they will have to win four in a row to advance to the IBL championship.
So the mood was less than boisterous at Christie Pits last night.
Things got off to a rough start. In the first inning, Toronto starter Zach Sloan gave up a double and a walk with two outs. Kitchener proceeded to score three runs off two more hits and an error to jump out to a 3-0 lead. From up in the owner's box came the sounds of thunder and lightning as the sun began to set.
The Leafs got one back in the bottom of the second when catcher Mike Reeves hit a leadoff home run off Christian Hauck. 3-1 Panthers through two.
A scoreless third led to a bumpy fourth for Toronto. With two outs on the board, Sloan gave up an RBI single to Tanner Nivins and a three-run homer to Mike Gordner. From the owner's box issued the sounds of sulky silence. 7-1 Panthers midway through the fourth.
The Leafs kept scratching at Hauck. Second baseman Dan Marra was hit by a pitch, then stole second. DH Daniel Szpik drew a walk. Centerfielder Connor Lewis then hit an RBI single that scored Marra and made it 7-2 Panthers through four.
Sloan and Hauck traded scoreless fifth and sixth innings.
Kitchener pounced on Sloan to start the seventh, as Brian Burton and Keegan Marsden each hit a solo homer. Sloan was relieved by R.J. Page, who finished the inning without any further damage, but it was now 9-2 Panthers.
Matt Vickers and Adrien Yuen kept the Leafs off the board in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
Page threw three scoreless innings with five strikeouts to wrap things up on the mound for Toronto. In the bottom of the ninth, the Leafs faced Eric Steeves. First baseman Justin Marra gave the Christie Crazies something to cheer about with a solo home run, but a dramatic comeback was not in the cards. The Leafs went down in a 9-3 final, Hauck with the win and Sloan with the loss.
Daunting.
Daunting is the task that faces the Hogtown nine. They hit the road for Game 4 tonight, looking to stave off elimination. A four-game comeback is not unheard of in the IBL, and if the Leafs want to keep their season alive, the turnaround has to begin now.
Kitchener 9-10-0
Toronto 3-9-2
W - Hauck (2-0, 2.25)
L - Sloan (1-3, 5.58)
BOXSCORE
NOTE: Eric Penkala and Cory Graham are providing live webcasts of each Leafs playoff game and archiving them on YouTube. The channel is Toronto Maple Leafs IBL Webcast.
Here's their complete coverage of Game 3.
Game 4 of this series will take place this evening at Jack Couch Park in Kitchener. First pitch is 7:30 pm.
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