Majors put up 19 in Friday night Win!

Written by Dan Haugh / Photo by Matt Hiscox

The London Majors scored early and often to pound the Kitchener Panthers at Labatt Memorial Park on Friday night by a score of 19-7. 

The score was close in the early innings as the two teams took turns putting runs on the scoreboard until London broke the game wide open with a big seven-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. 

The Majors sent 11 men to the plate in that fourth inning against Kitchener relief pitcher Bawin Colon, who allowed seven London runs without recording an out in the inning.  Colon walked five batters and hit three more.  The only London hit in that big fourth-inning rally was a two-RBI double by Maikol Escotto. 

London's 19 runs came from a total of 16 hits and one Kitchener error. The big producers were Trent Linehan and Maikol Escotto. Linehan had four hits, which included a home run, a double, a walk, two runs scored, and four RBI. Maikol Escotto had five hits of his own, which included two doubles, one home run, four runs scored, four RBI and a stolen base. Cristian Inoa chipped in with a home run, one single, three runs scored, three RBI, and two walks. Jarrett Burney had a double and an RBI sacrifice fly. 

Tucker Zdunich, Starling Joseph, Xavier Whittle, and Jaden Babiuk had one hit each. 

London starting pitcher Victor Payano picked up the win, going five innings. Payano allowed five earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts to keep London in the game. The big story was the solid relief pitching of Dustin Davidson, Kade Douglas, Alex Springer, and Zachary Laird, who combined for four scoreless one-hit innings following Payano. 

The London Majors' 11-4 record has them all alone in second place in the Canadian Baseball League standings, one game behind first-place Barrie Baycats, who will be their next opponent Saturday afternoon with first pitch at 4:08 PM from Athletic Kulture Stadium in Barrie. The Majors will wrap up their three-game weekend on Father's Day back at Labatt Memorial Park when they will welcome the Brantford Red Sox with first pitch at 4:05 PM.