Majors are 2021 IBL Champions

After 46 years the London Majors have broken the longest drought in Intercounty Baseball League history with an eight-four win. On Friday night for the first time in IBL history, October baseball was played in front of a sell-out electric crowd. 

Owen Boon was going for the Majors in what would be the biggest start of his career, going six innings giving up three earned runs in the first three innings but battled and showed why he was one of the league’s best pitchers. Striking out five through his outing before turning it over to game three started Eduardo Perez who pitch the final three innings, striking out five and giving up one earned run. 

The Majors offence would start off cold against starter Marek Deska before a two-out rally starting with singles by Austin Wilkie, Carlos Arteaga and Humberto Ruiz, before being down three-one with the eventual playoff MVP in Byron Reichstein coming to the plate. On a three-two, two out count Byron would hit his fifth and biggest home run of the playoffs putting the Majors out front four-three. 

With second baseman Chris McQueen out of the game with an injury sustained in game four, import pitcher Nick Carrell would play second base and drive in the game-winning run in the fourth inning on a double, scoring Keith Kandel. In the seventh inning, Cleveland Brownlee and Hayden Jaco would score two more runs while Austin Wilkie would score one more in the 8th. 

After the game, right fielder Byron Reichstein was named playoff MVP, going thirteen for twenty-nine with three walks (two intentional walks in game five), five home runs and nine RBIs.