Gregor Farquharson pitched eight solid innings, but the Brantford Red Sox bullpen could not hold the lead in the ninth inning as they dropped an 8-7 decision to the Welland Jackfish on Sunday, June 7, 2024.
The Red Sox got off to a good start as they scored first in the second inning, courtesy of a bases-loaded RBI walk by Jaret Lupton.
After a clean first two innings, Red Sox’s Farquharson got into trouble in the third inning as he issued a walk to Greyson Barrett and a double to Ethan Hunt, giving the Jackfish their first scoring opportunity. But Farquharson and the Red Sox escaped with a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.
In their half of the inning, the Red Sox extended their lead. With a runner on first base and two outs, Stephen Whalen belted a two-run home run to right field. Whalen’s first home run as a member of the Red Sox gave the home side a 3-0 lead through three innings.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the first-place Jackfish got on the board courtesy of a one-out solo home run from Greyson Barrett. The Red Sox would restore their three-run lead on a sacrifice fly RBI from Nick Burdett.
Brantford padded their lead in the seventh inning. Stephen Whalen delivered his third RBI of the game on a single. Nick Burdett scored on a defensive error from Welland’s Ethan Hunt with two outs and bases loaded. Brantford had a commanding 6-1 lead through seven innings of play.
Red Sox’s Gregor Farquharson pitched a scoreless eighth inning before being relieved at the start of the ninth inning for Norman Coleman-Goodwin.
But the Jackfish showed why they’re the defending Dominico Cup champions as they staged a huge comeback, scored seven unanswered runs before the Red Sox recorded an out, and would head to the bottom of the ninth with an 8-6 lead.
The Red Sox tried to have a late rally of their own. An RBI fielder’s choice by Ethan Paulos cut the deficit to a single run, but former Red Sox pitcher Danny Howat forced back-to-back flyouts from pinch-hitter Lucas Bateman and Graham Tebbit to end the game.
Despite a no-decision, Gregor Farquharson gave the Red Sox a solid performance on the mound. Farquharson pitched eight innings, struck out nine Jackfish batters, and limited the league’s top-ranked offence to one run, two walks and three hits.
Damian Clarke was handed with the loss for the Red Sox, who dropped their record to 8-15 on the season.
