Maple Leafs lose to Baycats in shortened game

By Rob Vona

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Barrie Baycats in five-and-one-third innings on Thursday night by a score of 5-1 at Vintage Throne Stadium. 

With the loss, the Maple Leafs drop to an 0-6 record against Barrie in 2023, and remain at an even 19-19 record heading into the last weekend of the regular season. 

Although the Maple Leafs got out to the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when they capitalized off of an error from Baycats second baseman Starlin Rodriguez, the Baycats quickly put up a run of their own courtesy of a Ryan Rijo base hit.

Rijo would go on to finish the game with two RBI, taking sole position of second in the RBI race in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) with 47. 

The game remained at a standstill until the fifth inning when the Baycats tagged Maple Leafs starter Sam Greene for four runs. 

An RBI double from shortstop Adam Odd that scored a pair of runs was immediately followed up by an RBI single from Rodriguez to give the Baycats a three run lead. 

Rijo drove in the fourth run of the inning off of a fielder’s choice to first base that scored Odd, making it a 5-1 game. 

Greene was charged with four earned runs over five innings that saw him strike out nine batters. 

The 26-year-old was handed his third loss of the year, dropping to a 3-3 record overall while Baycats starting pitcher Jeifry Nunez picked up his fourth win of the year, going six strong innings, giving up only four hits and recording four strikeouts.

The game was called in the bottom of the sixth inning due to poor weather conditions, making it a quick night in Barrie. 

The Maple Leafs head into their biggest weekend of the season as they take on the Guelph Royals - who trail the Maple Leafs by one-and-a-half games for fourth place in the IBL - twice. 

The first game is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. before the two teams wrap up the two-game set at home at Dominco Field on Sunday afternoon.

The post game report is brought to you by Woodbine Racetrack, official sponsor of Maple Leafs baseball.