Kitchener Panters infielder Colin Gordner ducks away from a pitch on Sunday afternoon against the Guelph Royals. (Photo by Dan Congdon)

Panthers score 20 runs in two games, but still split weekend 

The Kitchener Panthers flexed their offensive muscle over the weekend, scoring 10 runs in back-to-back Intercounty Baseball League games. One of those games featured a convincing victory, but the other resulted in a humbling loss. 

On Friday night, the Panthers visited Hamilton to take on the third place Cardinals, and made sure that the home side’s aspirations of catching Kitchener in the standings were squashed. The Panthers opened the scoring in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Zach Johnson that brought home Yorbis Borroto and then tacked on three more runs in the second inning on an error, sac fly, and a Ryley Davenport solo home run. Kitchener put the game away with a five-run sixth inning to lead 8-0, before cruising to the 10-1 drubbing. 

Borroto and Zarley Cina led the way with two RBI each, while Miguel Lehera pitched five strong innings to earn the win. 

On Sunday afternoon in Kitchener, the Panthers welcomed their rivals to Jack Couch Park, the Guelph Royals. Guelph has struggled against Kitchener in past years, but the Royals are having a stronger season this summer. The teams traded runs in the first and second innings before Guelph’s bats broke out against Panthers starter Geoff Moroz in the top of the third. A two-run single and a three-run home run put the Royals up 6-1 in the third, then they added four more runs thanks to three more home runs. 

Trailing 10-1, the Panthers began to mount a comeback. Andy Leader and Jeff Hunt both managed RBI-singles and Borroto made the score 10-5 with a sac fly. Guelph had an answer, though, again using the long ball to score three times in the top of the sixth. Kitchener made it close in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the Guelph lead to 13-10, but the Royals pulled away with another five-run inning in the top of the ninth, and won easily 18-10. 

Guelph’s power was Kitchener’s kryptonite as the Royals combined for an astonishing nine home runs in the game, two by Angel Villalona and three by Josh Garton, both of whom combined for five RBI. Moroz took the loss for Kitchener, giving up eight runs over three innings pitched. 

The Panthers are now tied with Barrie again atop the IBL standings with three games left on the schedule. Kitchener will host Toronto at Jack Couch Park on Thursday night.