Majors Outlast Cardinals 10-9 In Emotional Extra-Inning Thriller
Written by: Evan Frederiksen / Photos By Mason Dawdy
Three games in three days can reveal a lot about a baseball team. It tests a club's depth, resilience and ability to respond through a demanding stretch. After opening the weekend with victories over the Barrie Baycats and Brantford Red Sox, the London Majors returned to Labatt Memorial Park Sunday afternoon looking to finish the weekend strong against the Hamilton Cardinals. Entering the matchup, Hamilton had been the one team London had yet to solve this season, winning all three previous meetings against London. The Majors had no interest in continuing that trend, battling through one of their most emotional games of the season to defeat the Cardinals 10-9 in eleven innings Sunday evening and completing a perfect three-win weekend.
The London offense wasted no time making an impact as Jarrett Burney smacked a hard, line-drive, two-run double to left field to put the Majors up 2-0 in the bottom of the second. Burney would then take things into his own hands and steal home later that inning, extending the lead to 3-0, showcasing his speed and continuing to be an impact player no matter where he is on the field.
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
Travis Keys got the start for London and was nothing short of phenomenal as the two-time All-Star pitched six impressive innings while giving up just two earned runs on seven hits while striking out four.
Travis Keys’ Final Line Against Hamilton:
Owen Boon got the call for Hamilton and was solid through six innings. Boon gave up four earned runs for just the second time this season, also allowing nine hits while only striking out three. The Majors’ offense would then keep adding on as Jordan Lewis, one of the new additions to the Majors roster, lined an RBI single to right field, giving the Majors a 4-0 lead.
Both Keys and Boon were very efficient in the fifth, before the top of the sixth inning rolled in and Darlin German cut the Majors' lead in half with a two-run home run to left field, making it a 4-2 contest through six innings. The Cardinals would then break through again in the top of the eighth, as Dario Borrero got it started with a fielder's choice, scoring Darlin German.
Angel Guerrero followed with an RBI single to right field, evening the score at 4-4. Looking to limit the damage, the Majors turned to Skylar Janisse with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth. However, Tyler Duncan wasted no time, launching the first pitch he saw over the right-field wall for a grand slam that put Hamilton ahead 8-4.
If there's one thing the London Majors have shown throughout the season, it's their resilience. Even after giving up six runs in the eighth inning, they never stopped believing they could fight their way back.
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
The bottom of the eighth rolled in at Labatt Memorial Park, and London didn’t skip a beat in responding as Eduardo De Oleo lined an RBI single to centre field. Jarrett Burney also put up a great at-bat, hitting an RBI groundout to the second baseman to pull the Majors within 8-7. Then came the bottom of the ninth, with the Majors down to their final out; Jaden Babuik stepped up to the plate and battled through a heroic eight-pitch at-bat and lined an RBI single through the gap in left field to tie the game up at 8-8.
This game would end up in extra innings, as London entered the matchup 2-1 in extra innings while the Cardinals sat at 1-2. Angel Guerro would get the Cardinals their ninth run in the top of the tenth, as he hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field. Maikol Escotto would then respond with a sacrifice fly of his own in the bottom half of the frame to even things up at 9-9 after ten innings.
The game then shifted to the 11th inning, where Caleb Cassie came out of the Majors' bullpen and delivered exactly what London needed. Aside from a walk, Cassie kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard, preserving the tie and giving the Majors' offense a chance to respond. David Draayers would then come up to bat in the bottom of the eleventh, with one out and the bases loaded, on a 1-0 count; he lined an RBI single to right field, and the Majors walked it off.
(Photo By Mason Dawdy)
Caleb Cassie, who was named ‘Player of the Game’ and earned the win, said resilience was a massive part in the Majors’ success.
"A whole lot of fight," Cassie said. "Resilient group, people love to win. I mean, winning is awesome. So, at the end of the day, that's what we did, and it feels really good."
Majors Key Performers:
Caleb Cassie: Pitched a huge scoreless top of the 11th inning, setting the stage for the Majors' offense in the bottom half of the frame. Earned his first win as a Major.
Jaden Babuik: With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Babuik battled through an eight-pitch at-bat against Scott Gillespie before delivering a massive RBI single to tie the game.
David Draayers: Draayers put together one of the most impressive three-game stretches you'll see in the CBL. He went 6-for-11 over the weekend, drove in seven runs, and walked twice. His OPS climbed to .804.
Jarrett Burney: Went 1-for-5, drove in three runs, scored twice, and even stole home. There really isn't much Burney can't do.
With the hard-fought victory, the Majors extended their winning streak to three games, improved to 21-10 on the season and became the first team in the CBL to record a win against every opponent this year. London also improved to 12-3 at Labatt Memorial Park. The Majors will look to carry their momentum into Tuesday when they travel to Hastings Stadium to take on the 17-13 Guelph Royals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
CBL standings
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