Majors Take Two

   In London, the host Majors won both ends of a doubleheader from the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, taking the opener 6-5 in eight innings and the second game 7-5, in the only two games played in the Intercounty Baseball League on Canada Day.

              Toronto (14-8) started the day second but ended the day slipping behind both Guelph and Brantford into fourth place, 3 ½ games behind the league-leading Barrie Baycats. London improved to 11-12 with the two wins.

In the opener, Will Richards hit a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning, leading the Majors to a 6-5 victory.

              Richards also hit a two-run homer in the first as part of a four-run London first and the Majors scored a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings, setrting the stage for Richards game-winning blast.

              Chris Chambers doubled and had two RBI for the Majors, while Kyle Piwowarczyk added a pair of hits and an RBI. Starter Pierre Miville-Deschenes went six innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits, before Craig Bate got the win with two scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and striking out four.

              Toronto starter Marek Deska went all the way for the Leafs, allowing six runs on 10 hits over seven innings, striking out two and walking one. Gamin Teague doubled twice and Dan Gibbons had two hits and drove in two runs for Toronto.

              In Game 2 the Leafs scored four first inning runs to take the lead only to see the Majors scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning and eventually pull away for good with two more runs in the fourth.

              Ryan Cattrysse and Alan Cattrysse paced the Majors 14-hit attack with three hits each, while Jordan Dreiling added a pair of hits. Reliever Aaron Boag got the win in relief of starter Hiarali Garcia, allowing two hits over three shutout innings.

              Toronto starter Rick Meinhold took the loss in the finale, allowing six runs on 12 hits over three innings, striking out one and walking two. Kyle Degrace had three hits for the Leafs, while Damon Topolie had two hits and two RBI.