Another instance of late-game heroics led to a win for the home team in the IBL Finals, and this time, the hero was Brendan Luther.
The Jackfish shortstop’s eighth-inning single Thursday lifted the Welland Jackfish to a 3-2 win in Game 3 over the Barrie Baycats, and a 2–1 series lead.
Robert Mullen scored and sent the crowd at Welland Stadium into a frenzy, as Luther's grounder slipped past Brandon Hernandez’s diving attempt at shortstop and into left field.
It was a moment of redemption for Luther, who struck out against Barrie reliever Ramon Henriquez with the bases loaded in the seventh inning of Game 2. Facing the same pitcher in nearly the same spot, he delivered.
Barrie's News Delivered To Your Inbox
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Central Ontario Broadcasting, 431 Huronia Rd, Barrie, Ontario, CA, https://www.cobroadcasting.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
2025 INTERCOUNTY BASEBALL LEAGUE FINALS — WELLAND LEADS SERIES 2-1
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BARRIE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| WELLAND | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | x | — | 3 | 9 | 0 |
Benítez, Henriquez (8)(L, 0-1) and Plumpton;
Ortega (W, 4-0), De Los Santos (9)(SV, 1) and Mullen.
HRs: BAR — Keyes (1); WEL — Hupé (2).
"Everyone's fighting tooth and nail to right to the end," Luther said postgame. "We don't want to die. We're never going to die, and that's the way it's felt. This series has been an absolute grind so far."
Despite the big hit, it was difficult for Luther not to still be in awe of Brandon Hupé's third-inning inside-the-park home run.
"That guy, he deserves everything that comes to him as a hitter," Luther said of his friend. "He has worked his butt off every ounce, so, everything that comes to him, man, I feel it in my heart because I just love watching that guy play."
Hupé's second home run of the playoffs required much more effort than the first. His deep flyball to center field went off the glove of Baycats centerfielder Noel McGarry Doyle, who had his back to home plate as he was on the warning track. It then took a high hop off the wall and rolled roughly 50 feet away from him.
At that point, Hupé's speed already had him on his way to third by the time McGarry Doyle picked up the baseball, and he was being waved around my third base coach Ricky Pillitteri.
"I was just thinking, 'don't blow a tire,' Hupé said postgame. "My legs just felt like cement, so I was just trying my best to keep it going and not fall."
The Jackfish left fielder couldn't remember the last time he hit an inside-the-park home run, guessing it would've been in high school or even prior.
It led off the third inning, and gave Jackfish starter Teodoro Ortega a lead to work with, which he did masterfully. The Panamanian right-hander was perfect through four innings, and allowed just a walk and hit a batter through five.
However, Clayton Keyes ended Ortega's reign over game three with a solo blast to left field that easily cleared the Welland Stadium scoreboard. It was his first home run since June 28—his second game of the season—and just his third hit of the playoffs.
"It felt really good," he said postgame. "Especially in that situation where our team was not necessarily out, but we we're looking for something to get the guys going."
Keyes hadn't yet played in the Finals. He was added to the lineup in place of Noah Hull, who was made available off the bench in the instance that Hayden Jaco needed to come in to pitch after starting at first base.
"It's only a solo home run, it didn't win us the game, Baycats manager Josh Matlow said dismissively postgame. "He came up with a chance to win it and it didn't work out."
That chance came in the ninth when Keyes reached on a fielder's choice, putting the tying run in scoring position.
There have been eight home runs in the series, seven of them have been solo shots.
Ortega cruised until the eighth inning, in which he hit two batters, including Francisco Hernandez when the bases were loaded, which tied the game.
Surprisingly, he came back out for the ninth, but after starting Tristan Clarke with an 0-2 count, was pulled from the game to a massive applause from the Welland crowd.
"He's been coming off of some short rest," Hupé said. "To go out and do that and have that performance was massive for us. I think the guys really fed off it too."
"He's the guy, I think everyone knows that," Luther said.
The Jackfish starter finished his eight-inning outing allowing two earned runs, two hits and two walks while striking out eight. He ceded the mound to Pedro De Los Santos, who converted his first save of the playoffs, and has kept Barrie scoreless through 6.2 innings in the series.
"He's been coming off of some short rest as well, so to go out and do that and have that performance was massive for us," Hupé added in reference to Ortega.
However, it was a late decision by Jackfish manager Brian Essery to give Ortega the start. Baycats personnel were under the impression Euclides Leyer would be starting, and were shocked when they saw Ortega in his regular pregame routine during batting practice.
"We didn't know he was pitching, so obviously we couldn't prep for that," Matlow said. "We had all our plans for him, and they pulled a fast one on us. Welland just doing Welland things, but not surprised."
The IBL itself was even told of the pitching matchup of Juan Benítez and Leyer, previewing it with a post on social media.
Baycats starter Juan Benítez lived up to the billing, throwing 128 pitches across eight innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits while walking three and striking out three.
Ramon Henriquez came on in relief, and allowed three hits to take his first playoff loss.
This is the first time since at least 2010 that the first three games of the IBL Finals have been decided by one run.
"What more you could ask for in a championship series?" Hupé concluded.
UP NEXT
Game four of the series is Saturday in Midhurst. Barrie's Frank Garcés (2-0, 2.61 ERA) opposes Welland's Euclides Leyer (1-1, 5.17 ERA).
It will be Leyer's first start against Barrie since the 2019 playoffs, and second head-to-head matchup against Garcés (July 18, 2018).
