BAYCATS HIT THREE HOME RUNS IN 11-5 WIN OVER BARNSTORMERS

by Sam Aucoin

CHATHAM-KENT – The ball was flying in Chatham tonight as the Barrie Baycats defeated the Barnstormers 11-5. Three second-inning home runs from Hayden Jaco, Canice Ejoh, and Noel McGarry Doyle put Barrie out in front, and Frank Garcés settled in and shut down the Barnstormers.

Chatham would get on the board first off Garcés on a Trent Sillett run-scoring single. Two more runs crossed in the bottom of the second on a pair of sacrifice outs. That was it though as Garcés would get into a groove and keep the opposing hitters quiet.

Hayden Jaco led off the top half of the second with a game-tying home run to centre field. A couple batters later, Canice Ejoh would smack a three-run bomb to left centre giving the Baycats a 5-1 lead. Noel McGarry Doyle would go back-to-back with Ejoh to make it 6-1.

Baseballs were flying early on, especially to centre field. It was a beautiful night for baseball.

Garcés picked up the win (3) tossing seven innings. Barrie’s lefty gave up three runs (one earned) on nine hits and did not walk a batter. Kenny Williams was charged with the loss, working four and two -thirds and surrendering seven earned runs.

Ejoh, Jaco, and McGarry Doyle were at it again in the eighth. All three drove in multiple runs. Jaco’s two-run single was his third hit of the game. The 27-year-old now has eight driven in on the season with an impressive .464 average.

Evan Soules pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out one. Braedan Pakkala – who was making his Baycats debut – got into a bit of trouble in the ninth but was able to limit the damage and close out the game. 

Baycats win 11-5, they are 8-3, and are back in action tomorrow afternoon as they wrap up a two-game series in Chatham-Kent. The first pitch is at 1:35 p.m..