Arias & timely home runs lead the way to victory

Written by Dan Haugh/ Photo by Matt Hiscox

Home runs by Starling Joseph, Eduardo De Oleo and Kaiden Cardoso along with an overall well-balanced offensive attack sent the London Majors to a 10-4 home-opener victory over the defending IBL Champion Welland Jackfish on Friday night at Labatt Park.

In all, seven Majors' players combined for 12 hits.  Kaiden Cardoso and Starling Joseph led the way with three hits and two RBI each. Eduardo De Oleo had a pair of hits and two RBI, while Victor Plaz, Gibson Krzeminski, Andrew Lawrence, and Tommy Reyes-Cruz had one hit each.

Majors' starting pitcher Jose Arias was credited with his second win of the season, leading the IBL. Arias allowed one run in the second inning and three in the fifth. Arias left the game after the fifth inning with London leading 8-4.  Manager Roop Chanderdat then handed the ball to reliever Victor Payano who shut down the Jackfish over the next four innings without a hit while striking out five giving him a league-leading 10 strikeouts in the early going.

The London Majors will take their 2-0 record to Arnold Anderson Stadium in Brantford to face the Red Sox on Sunday, May 19th at 2 P.M.

About the London Majors

The London Majors are a proud member of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), the top-level summer league in Canada. Established in 1919, the IBL boasts ex-professional and elite NCAA college baseball players. The Majors’ most recent success was winning back-to-back league titles in 2021 and 2022. The team plays at historic Labatt Memorial Park, the world’s oldest continually operating baseball grounds. For more information, visit www.londonmajors.com or follow the Majors on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok at @Londonmajors