Baycats get dramatic in victory
Sports
Posted By LUKE EDWARDS, SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER
Updated 2 months ago
Mark Wanzel photoAfter tagging out Ryan Davis of the Barrie Baycats, second basemen Kyle Langille of the Mississauga Twins attempts a double play at first base during Thursday's home game at the Barrie Medals Stadium.June/10/10
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For a while, Thursday night's Barrie Baycats game looked like it was shaping up to be a repeat of their lateinning meltdown in Toronto on Sunday night.
However, an error by Mississauga third baseman Carlos Garcia gave Barrie a dramatic 4-3 win.
Barrie withered away an early 3-0 lead, giving up single runs to the Twins in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth though, Garcia fielded a grounder from Barrie catcher Jordan Lundberg and promptly threw it into right field. David Latour, who had reached on a walk and then took second base on a wild pitch, scored the game-winning run.
Lundberg has been a lateinning hero recently, hitting a walk off homerun and recording the game-ending out in a doubleheader against London last weekend.
The Baycats were coming off a disappointing loss on Sunday as they blew a 5-1 lead to Toronto in the ninth inning. The loss halted a five-game winning streak for Barrie.
A rainout against Brantford on Wednesday night forced the Baycats to wait another night before trying to start a new winning streak.
Paul Spoljaric got the start for Barrie, and pitched six strong innings. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth but Kyle Langille ended it abruptly, taking the first pitch he saw to open the sixth inning into right-centrefield for a triple. Baycats right fielder Ryan Spitaro made a valiant effort on the ball, just coming up short on what would have been a spectacular diving play.
Chad Campbell then hit a sacrifice fly to score Langille before Spoljaric retired the next two batters to finish off the sixth. He finished with six innings pitched and gave up one earned run on one hit and no walks. He struck out seven and got the no decision.
Barrie scored three runs in the third inning, as Mississauga starter Shane Cole struggled with command. With one out in the third he hit Stevie Lewis, one of three batters, he would hit in his six innings of work.
After Lewis was hit, David Latour drew a walk before Lundberg singled. Matt Logan then walked to score a run and Ryan Davis was hit by another pitch, scoring the second run of the game. Dovavan Latour drove in the third Barrie run on a fielder's choice.
On Sunday, it appeared as though Barrie would stretch their winning streak to six straight. However, they coughed up a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning, in the most heartbreaking of ways. Toronto's Damon Topolie took Barrie closer Kyle Payne deep for a walk-off grand slam, to give the Maple Leafs a 6-5 win.
But the victory last night put Barrie back into first place in the division, moving a half game up on the rival Brantford Red Sox. The Baycats now sport an 11-3 record.
Mississauga, meanwhile, went into the game among the heap of second tier teams in the IBL. Four teams, including the Twins, are all within a game and a half of each other. The loss dropped the Twins to .500 with a record of 7-7.
The Baycats are now off to Ottawa to face the expansion Fat Cats this Saturday. They're then off until next Thursday, when they host the Guelph Royals at Metals Stadium. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
sports@thebarrieexaminer.com
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