Baycats Walkoff Jackfish to even series

BARRIE — The Barrie Baycats kept their championship hopes on track Tuesday night, walking off the Welland Jackfish 5–4 in 10 innings at Athletic Kulture Stadium to even the Intercounty Baseball League Finals at one game apiece.

Welland opened the scoring in the first inning when Jonah Weisner lifted a leadoff solo home run to right field off Barrie starter Cesar Rosado. The Baycats responded quickly in the third as Noel McGarry Doyle smacked a solo shot of his own. The Jackfish regained the lead in the sixth, but Barrie came roaring back in the bottom half. Tristan Clarke hit a single to drive in the go-ahead run, giving Barrie a 4-3 advantage.

The Jackfish answered in the seventh when James Smibert walked with the bases loaded, and from that point the game settled into a tense pitching duel. Rosado worked six innings for Barrie, striking out seven while allowing just two earned runs. Relievers Ramon Henriquez and Carlos Sano combined for four innings of one-run ball, with Sano earning the win after striking out three in the final frame. On the Welland side, Jose Domínguez gave his club 6.1 solid innings before turning things over to Pedro De Los Santos, who struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings.

The decisive moment came in the bottom of the 10th. Francisco Hernandez smashed the first pitch he saw from Welland closer Deivy Mendez over the left-field fence. The Baycats bench emptied onto the field as fans roared, celebrating a much-needed bounce-back victory. McGarry Doyle finished the night with two hits, two runs scored, and a home run. Hernandez added two hits and three runs scored, while Clarke drove in two.

The Finals now shift back to Welland for Game Three on Thursday night. With both games so far decided by a single run, the series is shaping up to be every bit as competitive as expected.