Baycats Lifeless in Doubleheader Sweep to Majors

by Ryan Eakin

LONDON  - Not good enough.

The London Majors defeated the Barrie Baycats 5-2 in game one of today's doubleheader and 2-1 in game two to improve to 7-2 on the season.

With the pair of losses, the Baycats fall to 3-4 on the season.

In game one, Majors ace Owen Boon recorded the win, tossing six innings while allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two bases on balls while striking out five batters.

Majors first basemen Julian Johnson led the way at the plate, going three-for-three.

London reliever Jarryd Lund recorded the save in the seventh inning.

The southpaw came on to face three straight left-handed bats in the Baycats' lineup (Jake Wilson, Noel McGarry-Doyle, and Marcel Lacasse) and retired all three with ease.

Baycats starter Brad Grieveson took the loss, tossing six innings while allowing five earned runs on nine hits and no bases on balls while striking four batters.

BARRIE - 2-7-0

LONDON - 5-5-2

BIGGEST PLAY OF GAME ONE...

Down 5-2 in the top of the fifth inning, the Baycats had the bases loaded and one out, only for first basemen Michael Cecchetto to pop out to the third basemen. McGarry-Doyle, at second base at the time, thought there were two outs, and was running on contact.

He, of course, was thrown out at second base, ending the inning in a double-play. The Baycats would only get on base two more times for the rest of the ball game.

BY THE NUMBERS IN GAME ONE...

0. Not his finest performance, but for the third outing in a row, Grieveson did not walk a batter.

2. A pair of costly mistakes by Cecchetto at first base in game one.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Majors second basemen Chris McQueen flew out to Wilson in centre field and Wilson threw to first base to throw out Majors shortstop Keith Kandel, who was running on the play, thinking the ball would drop for a base hit.

Cecchetto, however, was not covering the bag at first base, leaving Grieveson to try and hurry to the bag before Kandel got back to first base. Grieveson's attempt was unsuccessful and the Majors would end up scoring a run on the play, with Majors centre fielder Austin Wilkie scoring from third base on a tag play.

His second mistake came in the bottom of the third inning when he let a Carlos Arteaga base hit get past him and into right field.

2. A pair of hits for Baycats shortstop Carson Burns, who extended his multi-hit, hit streak to three games.

2. For the second game in a row, McGarry-Doyle and a Baycats second basemen -- this time Mike Duwyn -- had miscommunication regarding who should attempt to catch a bloop hit in shallow right field. 

And for the second game in a row, a ball that should have been McGarry-Doyle's was left for the second basemen to try and make a basket catch, only for the ball to drop in between McGarry-Doyle and the right fielder.

In game two, the Majors defeated the Baycats 2-1.

Majors starter Hayden Jaco recorded the win, tossing three innings while allowing zero earned runs on one hit and zero bases on balls.

The Majors' two-way star struck out five batters.

Majors left fielder Humberto Ruiz led the way at the plate, going two-for-four with a pair of stolen bases.

London closer Mike DeLong recorded the rare five-out save.

Baycats starting pitcher Kevin Millar recorded the loss in his second short outing in as many starts, pitching just three innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits and three bases on balls.

The tall right-hander struck out a pair of batters.

BARRIE - 1-4-2

LONDON - 2-5-1

BIGGEST PLAY OF GAME TWO...

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Millar threw a wild pitch that allowed Ruiz to score from third base to make it a 2-0 ball game.

The run would end up being the winning run.

BY THE NUMBERS IN GAME TWO...

1. After a great first game from Burns, the Orangeville, Ontario native was the only Baycat to reach safely twice in game two.

3. Reliever Evan Soules pitched three innings of shutout baseball in his Intercounty Baseball League debut. The Stayner, Ontario native allowed just three baserunners (one hit and two bases on balls) while striking out a batter.

NEWS FROM THE DOUBLEHEADER...

- Help is on the way for the top of the Baycats lineup and is it ever needed.

Outfielder David LeBlanc will fly into Toronto tomorrow and will be in the Baycats' lineup on Tuesday evening against the Kitchener Panthers.

He is expected to bat in the two-hole, which will end the experiment of batting three straight left-handed bats in a row 1-2-3.

NEXT UP...

The Baycats return home on Tuesday evening to battle the Panthers in a rematch of the 2019 league championship series.

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

For more information, follow the Baycats on Facebook and Twitter at @iblbaycats, on Instagram at @barriebaycats, and on Youtube at Barrie Baycats TV.

And remember to shop at our online shop by clicking here.

Lastly, remember that you can buy tickets to all of our home games here.

Photo: Bob Hurley/Bob Hurley Photography