Keys brilliant in his first start

Written by Dan Haugh/Photo by Charles Warburton / @_CWPhotos 


The London Majors are still undefeated after recording their third straight victory in this young Intercounty Baseball League season. London beat the Brantford Red Sox 5-1 in Brantford on Sunday afternoon behind a strong eight-inning pitching performance from left-hander Travis Keys who allowed zero runs while striking out 5. 

Neither team mounted any serious threat to score over the first four innings until Kaiden Cardoso homered on the first pitch of the fifth inning off Red Sox starter Josh Laukkanen. The Majors added a single run in the top of the seventh inning when with one out Eduardo De Oleo and Kaiden Cardoso hit back-to-back singles. De Oleo was then driven home by a Cleveland Brownlee ground out off of Brantford relief pitcher Isaiah Ramos.


The Majors added three insurance runs with two out in the top of the eighth inning. Tommy Reyes-Cruz singled. Andrew Lawrence walked, and Starling Joseph was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Eduardo De Oleo then cleared the bases with a three-run double to make the score 5-0 London. In the bottom of the ninth inning Jonathan Henry relieved Travis Keys and allowed one Brantford run when he experienced some control issues, but Alex Springer came out of the bullpen to get the last three outs of the game and secure the 5-1 victory for the London Majors.


London scored five runs on seven hits in the game. Eduardo De Oleo and Kaiden Cardoso had two hits each and Andrew Lawrence, Tommy Reyes-Cruz and Brad Verhoeven had one hit each. 
On Tuesday evening the London Majors will be heading west on the 401. That is something they haven't done in over 40 years. Not since the Windsor Chiefs played in the IBL for a few years in the late 70s and early 80s. The Majors will be taking on the newest member of the IBL, the undefeated Chatham Barnstormers at Fergie Jenkins Field at 7:35 P.M. The next home game for the London Majors is Friday May 24th when they will host rival Kitchener Panthers at Labatt Park for a 7:35 start.