By Staff
August 24, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Game 4 of the Intercounty Baseball League semifinal between London and Toronto Wednesday night took almost four hours to complete and featured a little bit of everything.
There were four home runs, a bench-clearing incident and subsequent protest in which players left the field, an ejection, and a game that ended up 8-2 in favour of Toronto.
The Maple Leafs tied the best-of-seven series 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Friday night at Labatt Park in London.
Toronto Leafs beat the London Majors in this game – stands could have been fuller.
Justin Marra went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs in the win. Sean Mattson hit a three-run blast as part of Toronto’s four-run first inning, and Jonathan Solazzo added a solo shot to lead off the eighth. Brendan Keys singled and drove home a pair of runs.
Brett van Pelt (2-1) picked up the win after going eight innings and allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
Majors starter Elis Jimenez (2-1) took the loss, giving up eight runs on nine hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking three.
Offensively, Keith Kandel hit a solo home run, while Brett Sabourin had the other RBI. LeJon Baker singled twice.
Baker was also involved in the incident that led to a lengthy delay to end the top of the fourth inning. A close play at third base with Baker and Solazzo led to pushing and shoving and the benches clearing.
Words were exchanged between players from both teams, and an alleged racial slur directed at one of the London players resulted in the Majors leaving the field in protest for 65 minutes.
Barrie Baycats will go up against either London or Toronto in the final playoff.
Play resumed and the game was completed prior to the midnight curfew at Christie Pits, but not before Toronto reliever Adam Garner was ejected with two outs in the ninth inning for throwing a pitch after time was called.
The winner of the series will face defending champion Barrie in the final.
This is baseball at its best.
Will it be a 401 or a 400 series?
2016 IBL playoffs
Semifinals
Kitchener Panthers vs. Barrie Baycats
Barrie wins series 4-0
Game 1: Barrie 8, Kitchener 1
Game 2: Barrie 2, Kitchener 0
Game 3: Barrie 10, Kitchener 5
Game 4: Barrie 3, Kitchener 0
London Majors vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Series tied 2-2
Game 1: London 5, Toronto 0
Game 2: London 9, Toronto 6
Game 3: Toronto 7, London 4
Game 4: Toronto 8, London 2
Game 5: Friday, Aug. 26 at London; 7:35 p.m.
Game 6: Saturday, Aug. 27 at Toronto; 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: Sunday, Aug. 28 at London; 7:05 p.m.
