Majors Fall in Game 1

Written by Dan Haugh / Photo by Matt Hiscox 

Just two nights after they clinched their first round playoff series over the Hamilton Cardinals, the London Majors traveled to Barrie to take on the Baycats on Thursday night in the Intercounty Baseball League Semi-final. Barrie came out on top by a score of 8-2.

Barrie starting pitcher Frank Garces and London starter Travis Keys were in a good old fashioned pitcher's duel through the first seven innings in the game. Barrie led the game 2-1 after seven innings.

It was a six-run Barrie rally in the bottom of the eighth inning that broke the game wide open and pretty much sealed the victory for the Baycats.

Garces got his second win of the 2024 playoffs by holding London to one run on three hits in his eight innings on the mound. He struck out 10 Majors hitters.

Carlos Sano relieved Garces in the ninth inning and allowed London ́s second run when pinch hitter Jagan Chanderdat was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Travis Keys took the loss allowing five earned runs on 11 hits. Skylar Janisse came on in relief of Keys with one out in the eighth inning.

The Majors ́ offense consisted of two runs on only three hits. Two of those hits came in the seventh inning when Eduardo De Oleo led off the inning with a double off the base of the right field fence. De Oleo moved to third base on a Kaiden Cardoso single and eventually scored on a fielder's choice.

The only other London hit came in the second inning on a single by Cleveland Brownlee that he dropped between three Barrie fielders.

 This semi-final series will move to Labatt Park for game 2 on Sunday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 P.M.