A PAIR OF TENTH INNING RUNS LEAD BARRIE TO A 5-3 WIN

HAMILTON – Exhale

It took ten innings, but the Barrie Baycats came away with a 5-3 win against the Hamilton Cardinals. Malik Williams and Hayden Jaco came through in the top of the tenth with run-scoring singles to put Barrie up 5-3, and Cesar Rosado locked down the win with a scoreless bottom half.

Throughout the entire game, the Baycats' pitching was phenomenal, led by starter Frank Garcés. Working six innings with eight strikeouts, Garcés was back to his normal self, throwing just one bad pitch to Zach Marriott, which left the park. Marriott’s two-run shot was the only blunder Frank would make in the game.

He was up against the veteran arm of former Baycat Brett Lawson, who was just as good through his five innings of work. Lawson struck out four, holding the Baycats off the score sheet. Relievers Callum Blue, Nick Davies, and Stefan Strecker all recorded scoreless frames, keeping it a close game.

The Baycats would get on the board first in the sixth inning off Kade Kozak thanks to RBI singles from Zac Orchard and Hayden Jaco. A balk later in the inning would grant Jaco home plate, making it 3-0. Jaco drove in two runs in the game on three hits with a run scored. 

Orchard, who was making his Baycats debut, picked up a pair of hits and an RBI. Malik Williams, who drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth, went three for four in the game, scoring two runs and working a walk.

Another player making his Baycats debut was Christian Lazar, who tossed one and two-thirds scoreless, racking up his first punchout as a Baycat. Lazar would turn things over to Cesar Rosado, who would end the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout of Luis Bernardo.

The ninth would be tough for Rosado as the Cardinals rallied, and with a two-out base knock from Laine Renaud, it was tied at three. Rosado would not quit though as he would come right back out for the tenth and shut things down. The fire-throwing right-hander would strike out four over his two and a third innings of work.

Barrie’s defence was once again on display. This time it was Carson Burns, who made a number of great plays at shortstop on the run to take away base hits off Cardinal bats. 

Baycats win 5-3.

Photo: Bob Hurley