Three-run fourth inning, shutdown pitching leads Guelph to 3-2 win over Baycats

Situational hitting was not friendly to the Barrie Baycats in Guelph.

The team stranded six runners in scoring position and was shut down late by the Royals bullpen in a 3-2 loss on Saturday at David E. Hastings Stadium.

All three of Guelph's runs came in a long fourth inning off Baycats starter Juan Benítez, who went five innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two in a losing effort.

"We gotta get over that hump," Baycats manager Josh Matlow said postgame. "That kind of goes away if we produce early and we get that three-run lead, four-run lead, and you keep adding on. We didn't do that, obviously, so it gave them that chance to have that big inning, and that big inning was the difference.

Edgar Garcia, the Royals starter, came up clutch in getting the Royals out of multiple jams through his six innings of work. The former major leaguer allowed eight hits and three walks in that span while striking out six for his second win of the year.

After Garcia, Gleyvin Pineda in his first CBL appearance, and Andrew Case settled the Baycats Then, Kevin Escorcia locked down the save, his second this season with both coming against Barrie.

Guelph really got to the Dominican right-hander in the fourth, sending nine men to the plate in what was a three-run inning. In the frame, the Royals tripled their hit total to that point, with Deivis Nadal driving in the team's first run to equalize.

Benítez then walked former teammate Carson Burns with the bases loaded to fall behind by a run, before another came in after an error charged to Adam Odd, despite him diving to knock down a hard groundball off the bat of Ashton Patterson.

Saturday marked the fifth loss of the Baycats' six in which unearned runs represented the difference in the game, and the second to Guelph.

The closest the Baycats got in the late innings to tying was a deep flyout by Noah Hull, which was caught by Nadal in the right field power alley. The roughly 390-foot flyball would have been a home run in any other CBL ballpark.

"We can't be relying on that anyway," Matlow said. We gotta execute, move guys over. Say there was a guy standing on third base in that situation, they score him. But unfortunately that wasn't the case, and we were looking for the long ball to tie it."

Barrie fell to second in the CBL with the loss, while Guelph's three-game win streak has pushed it to third, over the defending champion Welland Jackfish.

Edgar Figueroa scored both of Barrie's runs, one off an first-inning RBI double in the first inning and the other after stealing home plate in the fifth. Machibroda forced a two-out pickoff attempt, allowing Figueroa to score.

"It wasn't executed exactly how we wanted, but uh it ended up working," Matlow said. "He got that run in, and I think that's what we were going for—just to chip away at the lead and then and make them feel like we're in a ballgame."

After beginning the season 3-0 in one run games, the team is now 4-2 in such contests.

Wandy Ciprian led the offence, going 3-for-4, while Figueroa also had a multi-hit effort.

Overall, Barrie left nine on base, including five when it was leading.

Meanwhile, Antony Gilbert and Victor Mascai each had two hits and a run for Guelph.

INJURY UPDATES

Baycats outfielder Clayton Keyes was a late scratch from the starting lineup. He was hit by a pitch on the elbow on Thursday, and was visibly struggling to take batting practice through the lingering pain.

Meanwhile, Noel McGarry Doyle is expected to return to the team's lineup on Wednesday after taking the last three games off to rest a hamstring injury.

UP NEXT

Frank Garcés (4-1, 3.33 ERA) is expected to return from a three-game suspension and start Wednesday's game in London.

The Royals are in Brantford on Sunday afternoon.

CANADIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
Barrie 100 001 000— 2 8 2
Guelph 000 030 00x— 3 6 2

     Benítez (L,1-1), Moreta (6), Encarnacion (9) and Ciprian;
Garcia (W,2-1), Pineda (7), Case (8), Escorcia (S,2)(9) and Ward.
HRs: Gue — None; Bar — None.

OTHER CBL SCORES

Kitchener 5 Welland 1