Nick Burdett’s four-RBI performance wasn’t enough as the Brantford Red Sox lost 8-6 to the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers on Friday, July 12, 2024.
In the first inning, Red Sox’s Ricardo Alvarez DeLugo escaped the top half without damage by retiring the Barnstormers on the side despite giving up a walk to leadoff hitter Spencer Marcus.
The Barnstormers got on the board in the second inning courtesy of a bases-loaded grounder by Noah Murciano. Alvarez DeLugo and the Red Sox prevented further disaster with a strikeout to Spencer Marcus to end the inning.
The Red Sox responded with a run of their own in the same inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Ethan Paulos beat out a double play, allowing Nick Burdett to score from third base to tie the game.
Barnstormers threatened to retake the lead in the third inning, with runners at first and second and two outs, but Alvarez DeLugo struck out Robert Mackie for the final out.
Brantford took the lead in the inning. Burdett beats out the potential inning-ending double play, allowing newcomer Marcos Castillo to score from third.
Barnstormers answered in the fourth on a sacrifice fly RBI from Noah Murciano. The visitors would then retake the lead in the fifth. After a Red Sox error allowed Seth Strong to reach third base, Mitsuki Fukuda provided a sacrifice fly RBI.
In the fifth inning, the Red Sox tied the game again. With two outs and Nick Burdett on first, Stephen Whalen hit a double to the right field corner. Burdett hustled to home plate, just beating the tag from Mitsuki Fukuda.
The Barnstormers regained the lead for good in the seventh inning. After allowing a first-pitch triple by Spencer Marcus, Ricardo Alvarez DeLugo struck out Daniel Battel. After issuing an intentional walk to Seth Strong, he was relieved for Isiah Ramos. Ramos threw a wild pitch on a 1-2 count to Mitsuki Fukuda, allowing Marcus to score from third.
Barnstormers expanded the lead in the ninth and scored four unanswered runs off Red Sox’s Noah Law and Damian Clarke. The Red Sox cut the deficit in the inning to two runs with a two-out, three-run home run by Nick Burdett. But the Red Sox comeback effort, and the game, ended after pinch hitter Roger Keen struck out looking.
