Baycats Rally Falls Short in Game 1 Against Hamilton

Barrie, ON - The Barrie Baycats battled back late but fell 7-5 to the Hamilton Cardinals in Game 1 of the CBL Semi-Finals, giving Hamilton a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Barrie held a 2-1 advantage after Ryan Rijo singled home Brandon Hernandez in the top of the third inning. The Cardinals responded with a three-run fourth to take their first lead of the game. Darlin German scored on a wild pitch before Dario Borrero brought Tyler Duncan home with a sacrifice fly, and Reyny Reyes followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2.

Hamilton extended its lead in the fifth when Carlos Dominguez scored on a Jaden Brown fielder's choice, pushing the score to 5-2.

The Cardinals added two more in the seventh. Duncan tripled to centre field to score Brandon Nicoll before coming home himself on a Brown sacrifice fly, giving Hamilton a 7-2 advantage.

Barrie refused to go quietly and mounted a three-run rally in the eighth. Francisco Hernandez scored on Rijo's RBI single to right field, cutting the deficit to four. Adam Odd then delivered the biggest swing of the night for the Baycats, launching a two-run home run to right field that also scored Clayton Keyes and brought Barrie within two at 7-5.

The Baycats were unable to complete the comeback, with Freisis Adames retiring Barrie in the ninth to earn the save and secure Game 1 for Hamilton.

Rijo led the Baycats offensively with a 3-for-4 night and two RBIs, while Odd drove in two with his eighth-inning home run.

Juan Benitez took the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits over 4.2 innings. Braedan Pakkala followed with a scoreless inning, while Oscar Moreta allowed two runs over 2.1 innings and struck out four.

Hector Yan earned the win for Hamilton after allowing two runs on four hits over five innings with six strikeouts. Adames recorded the save with a scoreless ninth.

The Baycats will look to respond in Game 2 as the series shifts to Barrie with Hamilton holding a 1-0 series lead.