Garton helps Guelph Royals top Toronto in opener
Josh Garton became a hometown hero Saturday as the Guelph Royals opened their Intercounty Baseball League season with a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday afternoon at Hastings Stadium.
First baseman Garton scored two runs and drove in two to give the Royals the win in front of a large crowd on a sunny afternoon made for baseball.
The Royals scored two runs in the fifth, the first one knocked home by a Garton single and the second one scored by Garton after he got up after a collision on a slide into third left the ball in left field and Garton on his way home. Garton hit a solo homer for the lone run of the seventh and the Royals added their final run in the eighth.
Guelph had eight hits in the game with Garton hitting his homer and a single. Blake Simpson and Marc Nellis each hit two singles while J.D. Williams had a double and Ashton Patterson hit a single.
The Leafs were held to two hits – a double by Charlie Towers and a single by Ryan Dos Santos.
Another Guelph native, starting pitcher Jacob Kush, struck out eight in a four-inning stint for the Royals. He didn’t get the win as the Royals scored their first run after Kush had been relieved by Rhys Montgomery. Kush did have trouble getting the ball down into the strike zone as he threw a total of 80 pitches, 39 for strikes and he walked five.
Montgomery, Darren Shred and Brandon Deans also saw time on the mound. Deans had five strikeouts in two innings to get the save while Montgomery had one strikeout in two innings of work and Shred had a strikeout in a single inning. Shred and Deans each issued a single walk.
Wilgenis Alvarado took the loss for Toronto as he yielded two runs, one earned, off six hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. He had three strikeouts.
Veteran Marek Deska pitched 2 1/3 innings and gave up an earned run off a hit and a walk. Julian Tymochko also gave up an earned run off a hit and a walk in an inning of work.
The Royals did play an inning in Hamilton Friday night before the game was postponed due to rain. It is to be rescheduled.
- Guelph Sports Journal