Majors fight hard but fall to Jackfish

Written by Dan Haugh / Photo by Matt Hiscox

In a battle between the top two teams in the Intercounty Baseball League standings, the first-place Welland Jackfish came out on top over the second-place London Majors by a score of 10–6 on Saturday evening at Welland Stadium.

The teams traded single runs in the first inning. London put together a four-run rally in the top of the fifth inning that gave them a 5–4 lead, but it didn’t last long as the Jackfish scored in each of the next four innings.

Seven Welland pitchers held the London Majors to six runs on only six hits in the nine-inning game. Jack Seward picked up his first win of the 2025 season for Welland.

Colby Ring started on the mound for London, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up four earned runs and one unearned run. Ricardo Alvarez De Lugo took the loss for London, giving up four runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Jaryd Lund finished the last two scoreless innings without giving up a hit, though Welland drew three walks against him. Lund also struck out three Jackfish hitters.

London’s leadoff hitter Toby Simmons drove a two-out, three-run home run way over the right-field fence in the third inning, scoring Brad Verhoeven and Ken Sugi.

Francisco Fajardo went two-for-four at the plate with a walk and a run scored. Tucker Zdunich, Brad Verhoeven, and Ken Sugi had one hit each.

With Saturday’s loss, the London Majors are in a deadlock for second place with the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers. The two teams have identical 12–7 records and are two full games behind the first-place Welland Jackfish in the Intercounty Baseball League standings.

The London Majors will be back at Labatt Park on Sunday afternoon when the Toronto Maple Leafs provide the opposition in a 1:05 p.m. start. Two days later, on July 1st, the Barrie Baycats visit Labatt Park for the annual Canada Day festivities.