Majors bounce back

Written by Dan Haugh/Photo by Matt Hiscox

The London Majors used a proven recipe to avenge Sunday's loss to the Hamilton Cardinals and come away from Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium in Hamilton with a close 5-4 win on Tuesday night.

The winning recipe? A little bit of great pitching mixed in with a little bit of timely hitting. London starter Braeden Ferrington pitched the first five innings to record his third win of the 2024 season, and Tyler Gillies chucked the last four innings to earn the third save.

Ferrington allowed two earned runs, one unearned run, and seven Hamilton hits while striking out two. Gillies' masterpiece featured nine strikeouts including the last two outs of the bottom of the ninth inning with the tying run aboard. Gillies allowed one run on three Hamilton hits.

Kaiden Cardoso and Champ Garner brought hot bats to Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium. Cardoso went two for four at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Cardoso ́s two hits were a two RBI dinger, his eighth of the season in the top of the first inning and an RBI double in the sixth inning. That was Cardoso ́s seventh double of the campaign. Garner also went two for four at the dish with his second round-tripper of the season, a solo bomb leading off the top of the second inning.

Victor Plaz doubled to centre field in the first inning. Eduardo De Oleo, Brad Verhoeven and Jagan Chanderdat chipped in with one single each to round out the London hit total at eight in this important win which put the Majors all alone in third pace in the IBL standings one full game ahead of the Guelph Royals who lost 7-5 tonight to the first place Welland Jackfish.

London and Guelph will meet Wednesday night at David E. Hastings Stadium in Guelph for a 7:30 p.m. start.

In fact the next three games for the London Majors are against Guelph. Friday night at Labatt Park and Saturday evening in Guelph before the Majors wrap up their 2024 regular season in Kitchener on Sunday afternoon. The games versus Guelph are critical in determining playoff matchups.