Brantford Red Sox cooled off a Hamilton Cardinals rally on their way to a 6-3 victory on Saturday, June 15, 2024.
After starting pitcher and reigning IBL Pitcher of the Week, Jeremias Sucre pitched a near-flawless game, and his Red Sox teammates provided early run support, Brantford came away with the 6-3 win.
With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, catcher Jeremie Veilleux singled to centre field, bringing home outfielder Ethan Paulos and shortstop Gus Wilson for a 2-0 Red Sox lead.
Two pitches later, Cardinals starter Colby Ring threw a wild pitch, allowing first baseman Nick Burdett to score from third base. After outfielder Vaibhav Desai popped out, third baseman Lucas Bateman drove home Veilleux on an RBI single, giving the Red Sox a 4-0 lead.
Ring would last only one inning, allowing all four runs and four hits. In the second and third innings, the Cardinals recorded a hit each but could not capitalize both times, as Sucre and the Brantford defence preserved the lead and shutout through three innings.
The Cardinals got on the board in the top of the fourth. After Connor Hicks hit a two-out double, Keelor Loveridge hit a double of his own, allowing Hicks to score from second, cutting the Red Sox lead to 4-1. But Sucre struck out Brendan Daley for the final out of the inning to preserve the lead.
Hamilton would cut the deficit to a single run in the sixth inning. With runners on first and second base, Dennis Dei Baning hit a single, driving in Luis Bernardo to cut the Brantford lead in half. The next batter, Connor Hicks, hit a ground ball, but Sucre committed an error, forcing the Red Sox into a bases-loaded situation with no outs. After a Keelor Loveridge fly out, Brendon Daley’s infield grounder allowed Josh Niles to cross home plate, cutting the Red Sox lead to 4-3. Sucre managed to get out of further damage by forcing Brandon Nicholson to fly out to outfielder Ethan Paulos for the final out of the inning.
Sucre would be relieved for Norman Coleman-Goodwin to start the seventh inning. Sucre went six innings, striking out six, allowing six hits and two earned runs on 90 pitches. Coleman-Goodwin held the lead for the Red Sox with a scoreless seventh inning.
In the eighth inning, the Red Sox distanced themselves with back-to-back clutch two-out RBI hits by Bateman and designated hitter Evan Ryan. Kyle Nash pitched a clean eighth inning, and Noah Law locked down the win with a clean ninth inning to seal the win for the Red Sox.
Sucre recorded his third win of the year, improving his record to 3-1. Law received his first career save.
