Both teams had strong offensive contributions from their entire lineups, but it was the Barrie Baycats (21-12) that came away with a 12-10 victory over the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers (17-15).
Every starter in each lineup either had a hit or reached base multiple times otherwise. Chatham-Kent's full lineup had at least one hit each.
Chris Nagorski (1-0, 2.25 ERA) got his first win since rejoining the Baycats after a shutout seventh inning. Catalin Morin (1-1, 6.96 ERA) got the loss. Johnathan Warden picked up his first IBL save.
Willy Garcia stood out for Barrie with three doubles, three runs, and a sacrifice fly. Meanwhile, Yushin Ohta drove in five for Chatham-Kent with two doubles pushing his batting average back above .300.
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| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 3 |
 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | x | 12 | 12 | 2 |
Spencer Marcus led off the game with a double off Baycats starter Juan Benítez and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Sadler Goodwin.
Barrie answered in it half of the first inning with an RBI single by Nolan Machibroda before the team made it 5-1 after two. Brandon Hernandez started that frame's scoring with an RBI single with the bases loaded.
Then, three pitches later, Barnstormers starter Yuri O'Connor-Yokoyama uncorked a wild pitch that catcher Mitsuki Fukuda couldn't locate. Two runs scored including Noel McGarry Doyle coming in from second base. Garcia then drove in Hernandez with a sacrifice fly.
Chatham-Kent's new acquisition Andy Groening reached with his first IBL hit in the fifth, and later scored on a throwing error by Hernandez. Ohta then drove in two with a double to make it 5-4.
In the bottom half of the inning, Machibroda drove in one, and was driven in on Noah Hull's double two batters later.
Hull finished the game with two doubles after a 0-for-16 stretch that followed a 12-game hit streak. He continues a 19-game hit streak.
"With how spread out we play—we don't play every day—you kind of forget about things you move on pretty quick, Hull said postgame. "It didn't feel like it was that bad. I felt like I had two, three bad games in a row and that was it. But to know it was 0-for-16, you know, I wouldn't feel like it."
A three-spot in the sixth for the Barnstormers tied the game at seven. The first four batters of the inning reached against Benítez, including a double by Groening.
Two innings later, Garcia hit his third double of the game and later scores on an error by Barnstormers second baseman Robert Mackie.
Five consecutive Baycats hitters reached on after Tristan Clarke grounded into a double play. Then three scored off a single by Adam Odd and an error by Fukuda. McGarry Doyle drove in Odd to cap off the five-run frame.
Johnathan Warden entered on the mound for Barrie in the eighth and allowed three unearned runs after an error by Hernandez. After a walk and a hit batter, Ohta cleared the bases with a three-run double.
However, Warden held off the Barnstormers for the six-out save, seemingly earning more confidence from himself and manager Josh Matlow.
"With more experience, it just comes easier and I'm more relaxed up there on the mound," Warden said postgame.
"He's one of our guys, let's be honest," Matlow said postgame. "He's earned it."
Benítez allowed seven earned runs on nine hits with six strikeouts in six innings. O'Connor-Yokoyama allowed five earned runs on eight hits with one strikeout in four innings.
TRIPLE PLAY
In the fifth inning, the Barnstormers turned the first triple play in franchise history.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Morin relieved O'Connor-Yokoyama, set to face Andrew Johnston. It was just Johnston's second at bat with the bases loaded this season and first with Barrie.
The Baycats catcher grounded Morin's 1-1 pitch directly over third base, setting up Torrin Vaselenak to turn a 5-4-3 triple play to get out of the jam.
"This was one of those tailor-made out of a dream, you play in the backyard as a kid kind of plays," Matlow said.
Johnston mentioned postgame that he'd never witnessed a triple play, let alone been a part of one.
Warden mentioned that he achieved an unassisted triple play this season while playing shortstop with St. Joseph's C.H.S.
PLAYOFF CHASE
Barrie clinched a playoff spot July 19 with that day's win over Kitchener, but are still in contention for the pennant with nine games remaining.
Elsewhere in the IBL, Toronto beat Welland 13-6 on the road, shortening the Jackfish's league-lead to just two games. Welland has won the last two IBL pennants, while Barrie hasn't claimed the league's top spot since 2019.
Meanwhile, Chatham-Kent's 'magic number' to clinch a playoff spot is one after Brantford's 5-3 loss to London. The Barnstormers are 5.5 games back of Welland.
KEY STAT
Hernandez committed two errors in this game, one of which led to three unearned runs against Warden in the eighth inning. He has at least one error in four straight contests.
The Baycats shortstop has made six errors in that span in 14 total chances. His fielding percentage has dropped from .917 to .903 in those four games.
UP NEXT
The Baycats are on the road to face the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday at Christie Pits. Warden will get his second start of the season. Toronto's starter will likely be Franklin Hernandez (0-0, 2.18 ERA).
Chatham-Kent hosts London Tuesday at Fergie Jenkins Field.
