Barnstormers Rally in Ninth for 5-3 Win Over Baycats

Barrie, ON – Tonight was one of those nights where the energy in the ballpark was perfect. A 5-3 loss to the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers was the end result, but the game was tight and very entertaining.

For the Baycats, the results in the batter’s box did not tell the whole story. Barrie had eight hits in the ballgame but only managed to score three runs. Stranding the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh was costly, but signs of life on offence are a good indication heading into the playoffs next week.

Most of the pitching for the home side tonight was done by Frank Garcés. The southpaw went eight innings, surrendering just a pair of runs on four hits. After striking out Sadler Goodwin – his tenth of the game – in the top of the eighth, Garcés popped off the mound, fired up.

After allowing two runs in the top of the first, the Baycats ace settled in for one of his best outings of the year. His night ended after he struck out the side in that eighth inning.

An Adam Odd RBI triple in the fourth made it a 2-1 game. Noah Hull then worked a ten-pitch at-bat, ending in a single, bringing in Odd to tie the game. Runs came at a premium in this game, so after a leadoff double by Ryan Rijo in the bottom of the sixth, the Baycats had to take advantage.

They had the right man up in Malik Williams. Working on a four-hit night, Williams singled to drive in Rijo for the lead. A big moment in the game, however, was when the Cats stranded the bases loaded in the very next inning, keeping it a one-run game.

This proved to be costly as the Barnstormers erupted for a three-run ninth inning off Brad Grieveson, taking the lead. Doubles from Seth Strong and Spencer Morin, along with some small ball, did the trick.

In the bottom half, all three plays were made by shortstop Sadler Goodwin, who remained brilliant on defence and secured the win and a happy – and long – bus ride home for his team.

Barnstormers win 5-3.