Gallo’s Homer Lifts Royals Over Baycats

Guelph, ON – Another close game throughout, but a late-inning surge by the Royals sealed Tuesday night’s game against the Baycats, as Guelph won 7–3. The score remained tight at 2-0, then 2-1 for Guelph through most of the game, but a three-run home run by Royals third baseman Jordan Gallo put things out of reach.

Barrie lefties Ethan Morris and Braedan Pakkala both pitched well through their combined seven innings of work. Morris got the start, going three and two-thirds innings, giving up two runs—both on wild pitches—and striking out three. Pakkala was just as effective, if not more so, tossing three and one-third shutout frames and lowering his earned run average to 2.16.

Tristan Clarke’s fourth home run of the season got Barrie on the board in the sixth. Clarke is now batting .298 and has homered three times in his last six games. Clayton Keyes and Brandon Hernandez both reached base in the eighth, and with none out, the Baycats had runners on second and third, in position to take the lead with Nolan Machibroda coming up. Machibroda ripped a two-run single up the middle past a drawn-in infield, scoring both and giving his team a 3–2 lead.

Keyes, who scored the go-ahead run on Machibroda’s single, was making his Baycats debut after being signed on Monday. The former Blue Jays and Diamondbacks draft pick went 1-for-3 with a walk in the game and made a great diving catch to rob former Baycat Conner Morro of a base hit in the third inning.

The Royals responded in the bottom of the eighth, scoring five runs on five hits, including Gallo’s three-run shot. Christian Lazar was charged with the loss.

Final Score: Royals 7, Baycats 3.

NEXT UP: The Baycats return home after a long road trip to face the Brantford Red Sox this Saturday. It’s another Paul Sadlon Motors Junior Baycats Day.