Guelph Royals felled by Toronto’s 10th-inning homer
GUELPH – A two-run homer by Garrett Takamatsu in the 10th inning lifted the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-3 victory over the Guelph Royals in Intercounty Baseball League play on a cool Saturday night at Hastings Stadium.
Takamatsu sent a 2-2 offering by Guelph reliever Yuki Narita into the darkness over the centre field fence for what would be the winning hit of the game that concluded at 11:04 p.m., three and a half hours after it started.
Toronto Maple Leafs 5 Guelph Royals 3
(10 innings)
The homer capped a comeback for the Leafs as they had trailed 3-1 after six innings before tying it with two runs in the seventh. It also gave them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five quarter-final series.
The Royals scored single runs in the second, third and sixth innings, but could’ve had a few more as they ended up stranding 12 runners during the game, five times leaving two ducks on the pond (runners on base).
Justin Interisano opened the scoring for the Royals with a solo homer in the second inning that responded to Toronto’s single run in the top of the inning. He hit two homers during the regular season.
The locals went ahead in the third when J.D. Williams and Conner Morro hit back-to-back singles and then, with one out, executed a double steal. Malik Collymore’s single drove Williams home.
The Royals added to their lead in the sixth when Collymore was walked and, with one out, Interisano was intentionally walked. Brendan Keys was walked to load the bases before Darius Barlas sent a sacrifice fly into left field that allowed Collymore to score.
The Leafs erased the deficit half an inning later with two runs in the top of the seventh. Yoichi Ishihara was walked and he was given a free trip to second on a balk by Guelph starter Hector Yan. Jose Vinicio smacked a double off Yan’s 148th and final pitch of the game that knocked Ishihara in with a run. The speedy Vinico scored the tying run on an error by Guelph catcher Keys.
The tightness of the playoff schedule forces teams to preserve their pitching, hence the high pitch count for Yan. He was fired up as he struck out 16 of the 28 batters he faced in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs, two earned, off four hits and six walks.
Narita tossed 64 pitches, 45 for strikes, as he faced 15 batters and he fanned seven of them. He also gave up the two earned runs off three hits and a walk.
Jesse Hodges, Sam Greene and Dustin Richardson combined to throw 163 pitches for the Leafs, 99 for strikes. The Royals scored their three earned runs off Hodges in 5 1/3 innings while Greene (3 innings) and Richardson (1 2/3 innings) didn’t allow any runs. Hodges had five strikeouts while Greene and Richardson had three apiece. Greene walked four, Hodges walked three and Richardson walked one.
Interisano’s homer was Guelph’s only extra-base hit of the game. Morro hit three singles while Williams hit two and Collymore, Keys and Chris Robinson hit one apiece. Williams had three stolen bases while Morro and Collymore had two apiece.
Leadoff hitter Vinicio had a double and two singles for Toronto while Takamatsu hit his homer. Jordan Castaldo, Hodges and Yoichi Ishihara each hit a single.
The teams are to basically play a game and a half Sunday at Toronto’s Dominico Field at Christie Pits. They’re to finish the opening game of the series that was halted in the fifth inning by rain and lightning with the Royals up 2-0. Game 3 is to follow that match.
Guelph needs to get a win in one of Sunday’s games to force the series back to Hastings Stadium Tuesday night.
If Toronto wins both games, the Royals will finish the season still looking for their first playoff series victory since 2012.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Guelph Royals felled by Toronto’s 10th-inning homer
GUELPH – A two-run homer by Garrett Takamatsu in the 10th inning lifted the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-3 victory over the Guelph Royals in Intercounty Baseball League play on a cool Saturday night at Hastings Stadium.
Takamatsu sent a 2-2 offering by Guelph reliever Yuki Narita into the darkness over the centre field fence for what would be the winning hit of the game that concluded at 11:04 p.m., three and a half hours after it started.
Toronto Maple Leafs 5
Guelph Royals 3
(10 innings)
The homer capped a comeback for the Leafs as they had trailed 3-1 after six innings before tying it with two runs in the seventh. It also gave them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five quarter-final series.
The Royals scored single runs in the second, third and sixth innings, but could’ve had a few more as they ended up stranding 12 runners during the game, five times leaving two ducks on the pond (runners on base).
Justin Interisano opened the scoring for the Royals with a solo homer in the second inning that responded to Toronto’s single run in the top of the inning. He hit two homers during the regular season.
The locals went ahead in the third when J.D. Williams and Conner Morro hit back-to-back singles and then, with one out, executed a double steal. Malik Collymore’s single drove Williams home.
The Royals added to their lead in the sixth when Collymore was walked and, with one out, Interisano was intentionally walked. Brendan Keys was walked to load the bases before Darius Barlas sent a sacrifice fly into left field that allowed Collymore to score.
The Leafs erased the deficit half an inning later with two runs in the top of the seventh. Yoichi Ishihara was walked and he was given a free trip to second on a balk by Guelph starter Hector Yan. Jose Vinicio smacked a double off Yan’s 148th and final pitch of the game that knocked Ishihara in with a run. The speedy Vinico scored the tying run on an error by Guelph catcher Keys.
The tightness of the playoff schedule forces teams to preserve their pitching, hence the high pitch count for Yan. He was fired up as he struck out 16 of the 28 batters he faced in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs, two earned, off four hits and six walks.
Narita tossed 64 pitches, 45 for strikes, as he faced 15 batters and he fanned seven of them. He also gave up the two earned runs off three hits and a walk.
Jesse Hodges, Sam Greene and Dustin Richardson combined to throw 163 pitches for the Leafs, 99 for strikes. The Royals scored their three earned runs off Hodges in 5 1/3 innings while Greene (3 innings) and Richardson (1 2/3 innings) didn’t allow any runs. Hodges had five strikeouts while Greene and Richardson had three apiece. Greene walked four, Hodges walked three and Richardson walked one.
Interisano’s homer was Guelph’s only extra-base hit of the game. Morro hit three singles while Williams hit two and Collymore, Keys and Chris Robinson hit one apiece. Williams had three stolen bases while Morro and Collymore had two apiece.
Leadoff hitter Vinicio had a double and two singles for Toronto while Takamatsu hit his homer. Jordan Castaldo, Hodges and Yoichi Ishihara each hit a single.
The teams are to basically play a game and a half Sunday at Toronto’s Dominico Field at Christie Pits. They’re to finish the opening game of the series that was halted in the fifth inning by rain and lightning with the Royals up 2-0. Game 3 is to follow that match.
Guelph needs to get a win in one of Sunday’s games to force the series back to Hastings Stadium Tuesday night.
If Toronto wins both games, the Royals will finish the season still looking for their first playoff series victory since 2012.
- Guelph Sports Journal
