Brantford Red Sox earned their first home win of the season after defeating the Barrie Baycats 20-15 on Sunday, July 9, 2023.
Over 400 residents came out on Sunday afternoon to watch the Red Sox storm back to victory and to acknowledge Brantford Professional Firefighters Association (BPFA) day at the ballpark.
The Baycats jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first, capitalizing on some erratic pitching by Red Sox SP Sean Hood-Tidman. Hood-Tidman hit the first batter of the game but then followed it up with two quick outs before allowing a walk and a three-run home run to give Barrie the early 3-0 lead. Barrie continued to pressure the Red Sox, getting three more walks and a couple of hits to jump out to a 7-0 lead after the top of the first. Hood-Tidman lasted two-third of an inning before being replaced by RP Aidan Armitage.
Brantford battled back in the bottom half of the inning, getting a lead-off single from RF Matt Fabian, which was followed up by a single from 3B Keiran Bowles and a double off the bat of C Jeremie Veilleux to cut into Barrie’s lead 7-2. The Red Sox added consecutive singles from DH Christian Kuzemka and LF Roger Keen as they made it 7-3, sending nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the first.
Armitage had a solid second inning, getting three of the four batters out for a quick half inning. Brantford responded in a big way in their half of the second, starting with Fabian’s second hit in as many innings, followed by a perfect bunt single by SS Gus Wilson. The Red Sox then capitalized on some erratic pitching from Baycats SP Evan Soules. Soules hit the next two batters, walked one and then allowed three straight RBI singles as Brantford sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring nine runs to take a 12-7 lead through two innings.
Both teams settled in for the next two innings before the bats came alive again in the fifth. Barrie scored two runs in their half of the fifth while Brantford responded with six more runs of their own to take an 18-9 lead through five innings.
The Baycats tried to make a game of it in the top of the sixth as they got to Sox RP Kyle Nash for six runs but RP Gabe Bruder came on in relief to stop the bleeding as the Red Sox took an 18-14 lead into the late stages of the game.
Brantford SP Isaiah Ramos came in to closed out the game, throwing 2.2 innings, while only allowing two hits giving his team their first win at Arnold Anderson Stadium this year and ending the team’s home winless streak at ten games.
Brantford had solid performances all the way around as every member of the starting lineup collected at least one hit. Fabian went 4 for 6, with 3 RBI and two runs, Wilson went 4 for 5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs, while Veilleux and CF Jesse Fishbaum also recorded 3 RBI in the victory.
