Extra-Inning Thriller: Baycats Fall 6–4 to Maple Leafs on Opening Night
Barrie, ON – Baycats fans brought the energy for Athletic Kulture Opening Night and were treated to a thrilling, closely contested game that went ten innings, ending 6-4 in favour of the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. The Baycats trailed 3–0 and 4–2 during the game, battled back, but Toronto kept responding.
Six runs were scored in the first two innings. Toronto’s Ryan Dos Santos led off the ballgame with an opposite-field home run. The Leafs added two more in the frame to go up by three. Barrie responded with two in the bottom half on a Willy Garcia single and a Tristan Clarke sacrifice fly.
Both teams turned the ball over to their aces during the middle innings. Frank Garcés and Wilgenis Alvarado combined for 19 strikeouts, with Garcés recording 13 of them.
The energy at Athletic Kulture Stadium was electric. There were plenty of games and prizes for the fans, who packed the ballpark to see the defending IBL champs do battle with their Highway 400 rivals. It must be said that, like the game itself, the on-field promotional contests were also tightly contested.
The Baycats were down by two heading into the eighth and needed something to spark their offence. Run-scoring base hits from Ryan Rijo and Adam Odd brought the score even.
Maple Leafs closer Dustin Richardson, who gave up the tying runs in the eighth, made up for it by stranding runners on second and third with none out in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Dennis Dei Baning’s two-run shot off Brad Grieveson in the tenth gave Toronto the lead, and Richardson closed the door, earning the win in relief.
Final Score: Toronto 6, Barrie 4.
NEXT UP: The Baycats travel to Welland this Saturday for a battle with the Jackfish. First pitch is at 6:05, and you can catch the game on YouTube. The Baycats are back home next Thursday to face the Guelph Royals. Game time is set for 7:35 at Athletic Kulture Stadium.