Boy, are the Brantford Red Sox happy they played on Thursday.
After a near postponement turned into a 24-minute delayed start due to inclement weather, the team rallied late to turn a three-run deficit into a statement 8-6 win over the CBL-leading Barrie Baycats (13-5) at Athletic Kulture Stadium.
Brantford (5-11) strung together three-consecutive RBI singles and drove in another on a fielder's choice off Braeden Pakkala in the eighth inning before padding the lead with two more in the ninth.
It was the Baycats' reliever's first loss since 2024, while Jose Arias got the win in relief, his first since joining the Red Sox in the offseason.
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However, if you ask Baycats manager Josh Matlow, the game hinged on three calls on the bases during those two innings that went in Brantford's favour.
"Everything was going to plan," he said postgame. "But unfortunately a few missed calls... turned the game on its head and it didn't pan out."
One in particular he pointed to, on what was a steal of third base by Cassidy Watt in the eighth inning, had it gone Barrie's way would've gotten it out of the inning with its three-run lead in-tact.
Instead, Brad Grieveson was tossed from the game soon after following some choice words from the dugout, then a quick ejection of Matlow three at-bats later, which he says was unprompted.
"I didn't say a word on the bench," he said. "It's disheartening, it's frustrating, and um, you know, it's even more of a a frustration after a loss.
Watt led off the frame with a leadoff single, which was eventually followed by RBI singles by Tim Holyk, Christian Ortega, and Nick Iannantone in succession before a fielder's choice off the bat of former Baycat Christian Kuzemka drove another in. Ortega, the league's RBI leader in 2025, and Holyk also drove in runs on singles in the third and fifth innings, respectively.
A ninth-inning triple by Brody Black drove in an insurance run for the Red Sox. before he later crossed home plate on a throwing error by Carson Barker.
Barrie carried an early lead off a first-inning opposite-field home run by Edgar Figueroa, who along with Barker, was a late addition to the lineup after Francisco and Brandon Hernandez each refused to play after the rainy conditions soaked the field.
Singles by Canice Ejoh and Noah Hull each brought in runs in the fourth, while Barker drove in two runs with one of his three hits in the fifth to give the Baycats a 5-2 edge. Ejoh's knock extended his hit streak to 13 games.
Wandy Ciprian later brought the tying run to the plate in a last-ditch comeback effort in the ninth inning with an RBI triple before Jorge De La Cruz locked down the save for the Red Sox.
The game was initially billed as a "Mejia-off" with Barrie starter Juan Mejia and Brantford starter Leandro Mejia each working five innings, allowing two and three earned runs, respectively.
Matlow says while he's happy they got the game in on the scheduled date, the team may not have been mentally prepared for it to happen despite the rain.
"We need to do a better job at uh not checking out," he said. "We're here to play baseball and whether we're delayed or there's a little rain, we got to do a better job of just kind of staying locked in and and kind of taking what Mother Nature gives us."
Neither team took pre-game batting practice due to the weather.
Despite that, six Red sox players collected multiple hits, including Jakob Cantor, who reached base from five of his six plate appearances and stole three bases.
Baycats outfielder Clayton Keyes was hit by a pitch near his left elbow in the fifth inning and was later taken out of the game. The team has not provided an update on his status.
Barrie's loss puts it even with London atop the league standings.
SUPPLEMENTARY DISCIPLINE
After what was his second ejection of the season, Matlow is anticipating a one-game suspension, which he'd serve on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Thursday was the second game served of a three-game ban for Baycats ace Frank Garcés, who was ejected from Saturday's game against London after umpires found a foreign substance smeared on his glove.
UP NEXT
The Baycats visit Guelph on Saturday with Juan BenĂtez (1-0, 6.23 ERA) scheduled to start for Barrie.
Brantford hosts Chatham-Kent on Friday.
SCHEDULE NOTES
A previous rainout in Guelph on Jun. 9 will be made up at David E. Hastings Stadium on July 8.
The Baycats' Jun. 14 road game against Chatham-Kent, which was suspended due to inclement weather in the bottom of the first inning, will be resumed on Aug. 29 in Midhurst along with a previously scheduled Baycats home game against the Barnstormers.
CANADIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
Brantford 001 010 042— 8 16 2
Barrie 100 220 001— 6 10 3
Mejia, Arias (W,1-2)(6), Law (8), De La Cruz (S,2)(9) and Watt;
Mejia, Encarnacion (6), Pakkala (L,1-1)(8), Sano (9) and Ciprian.
HRs: Bfd — None; Bar — Figueroa (3).
OTHER CBL SCORES
Guelph 6 Kitchener 3
