OFFENCE SHOWS UP BEHIND GREAT PITCHING, BAYCATS WIN 11-3

BARRIE – Make it three in a row for the Barrie Baycats as they play an all-around great game and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 11-3 on the road. Early home runs from Adam Odd, Hayden Jaco, and Ricky Phillips got Barrie out to an early lead, and great pitching from Cesar Rosado and Ryan Lacasse finished things off.

It was the first home run as a Baycat for Phillips, making it a 6-0 Baycats lead in the second inning. A towering fly ball that kept going as it soared over the left field wall on a pitch that was left right over the plate from Maple Leafs starter Sam Greene. Greene would only work two innings before leaving with an undisclosed injury. 

Odd, who got the Baycats on the board in the first inning with an opposite-field home run, would go two for five in the contest with three RBI while scoring three runs. Noah Hull, in his second game as a Baycat, drove in two in the sixth, adding to the lead.

Cesar Rosado got the start and was excellent through his five innings of work. Rosado would give up two home runs to Johnathan Solazzo and Jordan Castaldo, but that was it, as he would strike out seven.

Barrie only used two pitchers in the game, thanks in large part to a terrific relief appearance by Ryan Lacasse. The 19-year-old threw four shutout innings, picking up his first two Intercounty Baseball League strikeouts. 

And how about the defence for the Baycats. Ricky Phillips, Canice Ejoh, and Brad McQuinn – who came in as a defensive substitution in left field – all made diving catches. McQuinn would arguably have the best one, fully laying out in foul territory to begin the bottom of the third. Kyle Maves also had some tricky plays at second base that he made look easy, throwing with his back to first base to make a few off-balanced plays. 

Baycats win 11-3.

Photo: Bob Hurley