Cobra Chickens walk off Jackfish in the 10th inning

Written & photo by Matt Hiscox

In a clash of Intercounty Baseball League heavyweights—and donning their new Forest City Cobra Chickens uniforms—the London Majors edged out the Welland Jackfish 2–1 in a thrilling 10-inning battle Friday night at Labatt Memorial Park.

With the game tied at one and tensions high, it was Ken Sugi who delivered the decisive blow. On just the second pitch of his at-bat, Sugi lined a clutch single into the outfield, bringing home Dre Amaral from second base—the designated ghost runner—and sealing a hard-fought walk-off victory for London.

Skylar Janisse earned the win with a scoreless top of the 10th, improving his record to 4–1 on the season. Welland’s James Bradwell was tagged with the loss after surrendering the game-winning hit in extras.

London took a 1–0 lead earlier in the game when Byron Reichstein drove in Tucker Zdunich, who had tripled moments before. Reichstein reached safely on an error by the second baseman, allowing the go-ahead run to score. The Cobra Chickens leaned on strong outings from Victor Payano and Ryan Beitel, who combined for 8 strikeouts, 4 hits allowed, and 2 walks to keep Welland in check.

One of the defensive highlights came in the top of the eighth, when Amaral made a spectacular diving catch at second base with two Jackfish runners in scoring position, preserving the lead and electrifying the home crowd.

Welland responded in the ninth with a game-tying solo home run from Greyson Barrett, sending the game to extras and setting the stage for the late-game heroics.

London’s resilience once again rose to the occasion, and with Sugi’s walk-off single, the Majors capped off a memorable night in style.

The Majors continue their homestand Sunday afternoon as they welcome the Brantford Red Sox to Labatt Park.