Panthers win 8-0
Panthers lead series 2-0
The air had gone out of Christie Pits.
A one-run lead turned into a one-run pumpkin and everyone had just watched the Kitchener Panthers celebrate on the infield after Game 1.
The players and umpires disappeared into their clubhouses. The media booth switched over to Q107. The rest of us sat there or shuffled around aimlessly. There's an awkward feel to being in a ballpark filled with people on a Sunday afternoon when no baseball is going on. Fans on the hillsides were left in a kind of dead zone between the end of Game 1 and start of Game 2. Some people reflected on their life choices, others reflected on the Leafs' bullpen choices. The Earth flew on through space.
The players re-emerged and began warming up. The booth killed the music and announced the starting lineups. Everyone took their places once again. Game on!
For one club, anyway.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were stymied for nine innings by a Panther club that had drawn first blood and liked the scent. Noelvis Entenza (above) and Mike Schnurr combined to pitch a shutout as Kitchener took Game 2 by a score of 8-0.
Starter Justin Cicatello lasted four innings, giving up six hits and five runs (two earned), while walking one. Marek Deska, Pedro De Los Santos and Will Newton combined to pitch four scoreless innings of relief. Kitchener scored three more runs in the ninth off Nick DaSilva, but the game was long gone by then.
Leaf fielders racked up 10 errors in a mistake-riddled game. At the plate, Marcus Knecht and Aaron Hornostaj recorded the Leafs' only two hits.
As the errors got out of hand and the Black Cats pulled further away, I briefly left the park and roamed through some nearby alleys. I hoped to seek out and grab a raccoon to throw onto the field, thinking it might spook the visiting team or bite a player. Cats don't get along with raccoons, right?
None could be found.
It was a stunner of a day and a brutal two-game result for Toronto, putting them two games down in this best-of-seven series. Manager Damon Topolie will have to scare up some voodoo of his own to turn his boys around, before this series gets away from them.
"CHICKEN ARISE! ARISE CHICKEN ARISE!"
Kitchener 8-9-0
Toronto 0-2-10
W - Entenza (2-0, 0.00)
L - Cicatello (1-1, 4.59)
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 2.
Game 3 of this series was scheduled to take place this evening at Jack Couch Park in Kitchener. It has been rained out. Stay tuned for schedule updates.
