PANTHERS COME BACK, BAYCATS LOSE 10-8 IN HEARTBREAKING FASHION

KITCHENER – This game was great through 8 innings but a 9th inning walk-off home run leads to a 10-8 Panthers win over the Baycats. Just like yesterday’s game, this one was back and forth from the beginning.

Kitchener jumped out early, scoring a run in the second and another in the third off starter Emilis Guerrero. The first run came on a ground out from Yunior Ibarra. Then, a sack fly from Raul Gonzalez scored run number 2. Barrie would jump into the lead the next inning when Ryan Rijo hit a 1-out single scoring Canice Ejoh. Victor Plaz would follow that up with a hit of his own and then came a 3-run home run from Marcel Lacasse to make it 4-2.

Aside from his early troubles, Guerrero looked good on the mound. Only 2 missed pitches to Ibarra and Gonzalez and both of them left the yard leading to a tie game. Other than that, Emilis gave his team 6 solid innings with 3 strikeouts against a very good Panthers lineup.

But the Baycats were in need of another big inning down 5-4 in the game heading into the 8th. Ejoh led off with his second hit of the game. After that, Rijo worked a walk which forced Jose Vasquez out of the game. Another knock from Plaz put 2 runners on for Josh Cote and on an 0-1 count Cote hit the second 3-run home run for Barrie in the game giving them an 8-5 lead.

There was still work to be done though and unfortunately, that was not completed the way the visitors wanted. With the bases loaded and no one out, Andy Leader got a base hit scoring a run to make it 8-6. Shortly after, Gonzalez became the second hit-by-pitch victim of the inning, scoring another. Then Liam Wilson, who earlier in the game got his 200th base hit in the IBL, hit a sacrifice fly to tie it. The knockout blow was from Keegan Marsden as he connected on a 2-run walk-off home run to win the game in dramatic fashion. 

Brady Schnarr got the win in relief for the Panthers pitching an inning in a scoreless top of the 9th. Chris Cox was charged with the loss. 

After that heartbreaking fail to Kitchener, the Barrie Baycats are back in action this Thursday when the Welland Jackfish visit Vintage Throne Stadium. The first pitch is at 7:35 pm. Get your tickets here. Can’t make it to the game? Tune into Baycats TV.  

YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE FULL BROADCAST OF THIS GAME ON THE PANTHERS YOUTUBE CHANNEL FEATURING MARK PARÉ AND NEIL SRIVASTAVA.