Baycats Bullpen Allows Five Runs in the Seventh; Fall to Maple Leafs
TORONTO - It happens.
The Toronto Maple Leafs erased a four-run deficit in the seventh inning tonight to come back and defeat the Barrie Baycats 10-8 on Wednesday evening to improve to 10-9 on the season.
With the loss, the Baycats fall to 10-11.
Toronto southpaw reliever Adam Marra picked up the win, tossing one inning in relief.
The lefty recorded one strikeout on zero hits and zero walks in the top of the seventh inning.
Maple Leafs' catcher Justin Marra led the way at the plate, going three-for-five with two home runs.
Toronto closer Mateos Kekatos, who was signed by the Ottawa Titans of the Frontier League this past offseason, recorded a six-out save for the Maple Leafs.
Baycats reliever Chris Cox took the loss, allowing one earned run on three hits and two bases on balls in two innings pitched.
The former Maple Leaf struck out a pair of Toronto batters.
BARRIE - 8-12-2
TORONTO - 10-9-2.
BIGGEST PLAY OF THE GAME...
It was not one play that did the Baycats in tonight, so let's go with Maple Leafs' shortstop Jordan Castaldo drawing a lead-off walk in the bottom of the seventh inning.
From there, the Leafs hit a home run, reached on an error, got hit by a pitch, hit a single, and drew a walk before the Baycats were finally able to retire a Maple Leafs' batter in the seventh inning.
BY THE NUMBERS...
3. Baycats second basemen Royce Ando reached base three times tonight in his long-awaited Baycats debut, hitting two singles while also drawing a walk. The former Michigan State Spartan is expected to play a massive role in the Baycats' lineup moving forward.
4. Baycats third basemen Branfy Infante reached base four times tonight, highlighted by hitting a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning.
Infante is now batting .310 on the season.
5. Baycats starting pitcher Marshall Leishman went five innings in his Christie Pits debut tonight, allowing three earned runs. It was a fine start for the young southpaw in his debut at the toughest park in the league and he left in line for the win before the Baycats' bullpen melted down in the seventh inning.
12.46. After failing to record an out in his Intercounty Baseball League [IBL] debut earlier this month against the Brantford Red Sox, Baycats reliever Christan Mullen had a nice outing this past Sunday in game two of the Baycats' doubleheader against the Panthers, stranding the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning before pitching 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to close out the ball game.
Tonight, unfortunately, after throwing a scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth inning, Mullen ran into trouble in the seventh inning, walking Castaldo before allowing a home run to Marra.
Easy to understand what Baycats manager Josh Matlow was thinking -- trying to see if he can trust Mullen in high leverage situations against elite lineups -- but leaving a pitcher with an ERA that high in to face Castaldo and Marra, two of the best hitters in the IBL, was a poor idea at the time and most certainly was a poor decision after the end result.
NEWS FROM THE GAME...
- Tonight was Leishman's last appearance of the season, as he is now off to Ashland University in Ohio for his junior season. Baycats southpaw reliever Aidan Rossell and infielder Owen Jansen are the last two college players still with the Baycats.
NEXT UP...
The Baycats travel to Brantford on Friday night to conclude their five-game road trip.
They finally return home on Saturday evening to host the first-place London Majors.
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Photo: Bob Hurley/Bob Hurley Photography