Guelph Royals short on hits, edged by Kitchener
KITCHENER – The Guelph Royals were held to four hits Sunday as they were nipped 4-3 by the Kitchener Panthers in Intercounty Baseball League play at Jack Couch Park.
Two of the hits came in the fifth inning when the Royals scored a pair of runs to grab a 3-2 lead. However, Kitchener responded with two runs in the sixth to complete the scoring and claim the victory.
Kitchener Panthers 4 Guelph Royals 3
Ethan Hammond had a double and single for the Royals while Malik Collymore hit a double and Brando Leroux added a single.
Guelph pitchers Nelson Mercado and Jorge de la Cruz Paez limited Kitchener to six hits. Mercado started and took the loss. He went six innings and gave up four runs, all earned, off five hits and two walks. De la Cruz Paez pitched the final two innings and yielded a hit and a walk. Both had two strikeouts.
Kitchener used five pitchers – Jacob Douglas, Steven Sanders, Nathan Laird, Adam Robertson and Andy Leader. Douglas pitched four innings, Robertson two and the others one apiece. Laird picked up the win and Leader had a save.
Leader started the game in centre field for the Panthers and he smacked a two-run homer in the third inning to open the scoring.
The Royals got a run back in the fourth thanks to a pair of Kitchener errors. Collymore reached base on an error by third baseman Reece Reading. Collymore stole second and scored as Noah Roberts reached base due to an error by second baseman Stephen Whalen.
Guelph shot ahead in the fifth with a pair of two-out runs. Hammond doubled to centre and went to third as J.D. Williams grounded out. Sean Reilly was walked and Collymore doubled to drive Hammond home and move Reilly to third. A walk to Josh Garton loaded the bases and a walk to Roberts scored Reilly.
In the sixth, Mercado walked Liam Wilson who went to second on a wild pitch. He would’ve made it there anyway as Mercado hit Tyler Hinrikus with a pitch and both Wilson and Hinrikus scored on a double by Keegan Marsden.
The Royals turned two double plays and had four stolen bases in the match – two by Collymore and one each by Reilly and Leroux. They also stranded nine runners.
Guelph falls to 2-3 with the loss while Kitchener improves to 2-2.
The Royals are to host the league-leading Welland Jackfish (5-0) Tuesday at Hastings Stadium.
The Jackfish have averaged just under nine runs per game while yielding five per game. The Royals have both scored and given up just over four runs per game.
Game time Tuesday is 7:30 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Guelph Royals short on hits, edged by Kitchener
KITCHENER – The Guelph Royals were held to four hits Sunday as they were nipped 4-3 by the Kitchener Panthers in Intercounty Baseball League play at Jack Couch Park.
Two of the hits came in the fifth inning when the Royals scored a pair of runs to grab a 3-2 lead. However, Kitchener responded with two runs in the sixth to complete the scoring and claim the victory.
Kitchener Panthers 4
Guelph Royals 3
Ethan Hammond had a double and single for the Royals while Malik Collymore hit a double and Brando Leroux added a single.
Guelph pitchers Nelson Mercado and Jorge de la Cruz Paez limited Kitchener to six hits. Mercado started and took the loss. He went six innings and gave up four runs, all earned, off five hits and two walks. De la Cruz Paez pitched the final two innings and yielded a hit and a walk. Both had two strikeouts.
Kitchener used five pitchers – Jacob Douglas, Steven Sanders, Nathan Laird, Adam Robertson and Andy Leader. Douglas pitched four innings, Robertson two and the others one apiece. Laird picked up the win and Leader had a save.
Leader started the game in centre field for the Panthers and he smacked a two-run homer in the third inning to open the scoring.
The Royals got a run back in the fourth thanks to a pair of Kitchener errors. Collymore reached base on an error by third baseman Reece Reading. Collymore stole second and scored as Noah Roberts reached base due to an error by second baseman Stephen Whalen.
Guelph shot ahead in the fifth with a pair of two-out runs. Hammond doubled to centre and went to third as J.D. Williams grounded out. Sean Reilly was walked and Collymore doubled to drive Hammond home and move Reilly to third. A walk to Josh Garton loaded the bases and a walk to Roberts scored Reilly.
In the sixth, Mercado walked Liam Wilson who went to second on a wild pitch. He would’ve made it there anyway as Mercado hit Tyler Hinrikus with a pitch and both Wilson and Hinrikus scored on a double by Keegan Marsden.
The Royals turned two double plays and had four stolen bases in the match – two by Collymore and one each by Reilly and Leroux. They also stranded nine runners.
Guelph falls to 2-3 with the loss while Kitchener improves to 2-2.
The Royals are to host the league-leading Welland Jackfish (5-0) Tuesday at Hastings Stadium.
The Jackfish have averaged just under nine runs per game while yielding five per game. The Royals have both scored and given up just over four runs per game.
Game time Tuesday is 7:30 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal