Maple Leafs Cruise to Victory Over Red Sox

By Rob Vona

The Toronto Maple Leafs took care of business at Dominico Field on Sunday, beating the Brantford Red Sox by a score of 12-2. 

First-year Maple Leaf Daniel Procopio picked up his second win of the season with a brilliant five-and-two-thirds innings pitched that saw the 27-year-old allow only one run on three hits and five strikeouts. 

Procopio surrendered his only run of the game in the top of the first inning, a base hit to right field from Red Sox first baseman Nick Burdett. 

The Maple Leafs responded with an RBI single to right field of their own in the bottom half of the inning, this one coming off the bat of third baseman Johntahan Solazzo that scored first baseman Jordan Castaldo. 

“You take a look around this lineup and it’s deep,” said Castaldo following the game.” “I think we’re starting to click and once we start to get going as a team we’ll be really dangerous.”

Jose Vinicio started things off in the bottom of the third inning, a base hit to left field saw him make his way on base. The speedy shortstop quickly got himself into scoring position, stealing both second and third base.

Vinicio is now tied for the most stolen bases in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) with 10.

A hard single into centre-field from second baseman Garrett Takamatsu allowed for Vinicio to score with ease as the Maple Leafs took their first lead of the game and never looked back.

“Tak’s got a proven record in this league, we know what he’s capable of doing,” said Castaldo about the Maple Leafs new acquisition in Takamatsu. “You add him to the mix and it just deepens this lineup even more.”

The Maple Leafs strung together three more hits courtesy of Castaldo, catcher Jusitn Marra and left-fielder Yoichi Ishihara, bringing in two more runs. Marra later scored off of a wild pitch to make it a 5-1 ball game after three innings. 

Vinicio stayed hot in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting his first home run of the year, this one just barely clearing the fence up against the foul pole in right field. Vinicio finished the game with a game-high four hits. 

Solazzo followed suit, mashing his seventh home run of the year over the right field fence to extend the Maple Leafs lead to seven, now leading 8-1.

The 32-year-old went on to record a game-high three RBI, bringing his total to 25, he is tied for the most home runs and RBI in the IBL.

After a quiet fifth and sixth inning, the Red Sox got one back, an RBI single from shortstop Gus Wilson to give his squad their second run of the game. 

The home team responded with three runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning to give themselves an 11-2 lead, thanks to an RBI double from centre-fielder and first-year Maple Leaf J.J. Dutton, combined with an RBI base hit from Vinicio and an RBI walk from Castaldo.

Right-fielder Greg Carrington wrapped things up in the eighth inning, bringing in the 12th run of the game for the Maple Leafs with a fielder’s choice, as Procopio and the Maple Leafs took down the Red Sox with ease. 

The Maple Leafs will take on the Barrie Baycats on Thursday at Vintage Throne Stadium, first pitch is set for 7:35 p.m.