Majors Fall in Extra-Innings To Barnstormers

Written by: Evan Frederiksen / Photo by Mason Dawdy

The London Majors fought but came up short against the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers losing 9-5 in extra innings Tuesday night at Fergie Jenkins Field.

The offence, like many games this season, got off to a hot start in the first inning, as Starling Joseph lined an RBI single into centre field to give the Majors a 1-0 lead.

Dustin Davidson got his first start as a major and was very impressive through four innings. The lefty threw fifty-one pitches while giving up just one earned run on two hits while striking out four. Davidson's only earned run came on a solo shot from Yushin Ohta in the bottom of the second. 

Trent Lenihan then lined an RBI single into left field in the top of the third inning to give the Majors a 2-1 lead. The top of the fourth rolled in, and Majors couldn’t stop slugging, as Tucker Zdunich, Adam Thuss, and Maikol Escotto all had solo home runs, extending the Major lead to 5-1.

It didn’t take long for the Barnstromers to respond, though, as Thomas Green hit a line drive double to centre field, scoring two runs to cut into the London lead 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Chatham then followed that up with some good base running, taking advantage of some wild pitches in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs to even up the contest at 5-5.

The Barnstormers bullpen, which had been struggling early in the season, had no interest in keeping that trend rolling, as reliever Garret Day, who came into the matchup with a 3.86 ERA, had himself a night pitching five scoreless innings out of the bullpen, giving up just two hits and striking out four. He shut down the major offensive, which had scored six or more runs in eight of their last nine games. 

Through nine innings of play, most teams showed lots of emotion and tension, and it got even more intense when the tenth inning rolled in. Bo Buckley was called upon by the Barnstormers in the top of the tenth inning, and the Wyoming native continued to be one of the club's most reliable bullpen arms. Buckley tossed a scoreless frame, keeping the Majors off the scoreboard and preventing them from taking the lead. 

The bottom of the tenth rolled in, and the Barnstormers worked had good at bats against the Majors' star closer Skylar Janisse, as Greyson Barrett hit a single, followed by a Yushin Ohta intentional walk. The Barnstormers would then walk it off as Austin Gurney hit a walk-off grand slam to deep right field, giving the Barnstormers a walk-off win.

With the loss, the Majors' five-game winning streak has come to an end as they move to 13-5 on the season, 6-4 on the road.

The Majors will now have some time off before starting their longest homestand of the season, beginning Friday, June 26, at Labatt Memorial Park when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05.