THE BAYCATS WIN 5-3 AND LEAD THE FINALS TWO GAMES TO NONE

BARRIE – Another close win for the Barrie Baycats as they defeat the Welland Jackfish in game two of the IBL finals. Barrie, once again, got a fabulous pitching performance as Juan Benítez kept the Jackfish in check.

Welland, for the second game in a row, scored first. In the top of the first, Steven Moretto, who hit a home run in game one, hit one again, making it 1-0. The Baycats would answer that in the bottom half when Royce Ando roped an RBI single, scoring Canice Ejoh. Later in the inning, Ejoh would come in to score on a double play, giving Barrie the advantage.

The lead was extended in the third inning when Ryan Rijo brought in Ejoh with a base hit. Canice, with two more hits and three runs scored tonight, has had a red-hot start to this series with a pair of hits in each of the first two games. Barrie’s center fielder also stole four bases in the finals.

Another guy who has been hot is Steven Moretto, who started a two-run fourth inning for the Jackfish that tied the game. A Caleb Feuerstake RBI groundout was followed by a Matteo Porcellato run-scoring single. That was it for Welland's offense for the rest of the game as Benítez settled down.

The veteran right-hander threw eight innings of three-run ball against a dangerous Jackfish lineup. Juan earned his first win of the playoffs and his second career IBL postseason win.

Barrie took back the lead in the fifth inning as a passed ball let Ejoh score again. One inning later, Kyle Maves hit an infield single, bringing in Malik Williams after the Baycats pulled off a double steal.

The ball was then handed to Brad Grieveson in the ninth inning. With a two-run lead to work with, Grieveson faced the minimum thanks to a 6-4-3 double play that ended the game.

NEXT UP: Game three of the finals is Tuesday night in Welland. Game time is at 7:25 p.m. and you can listen to the game live on Baycats Radio: Exclusively on Baycats TV. Tickets can be bought here.