Kitchener Panthers catcher Mike Gordner gets props from his first base coach after hitting a single in Wednesday night's Game 5 in Kitchener. Barrie now leads the championship series 3-2. (Photo by Dan Congdon)

Panthers have life in IBL final after beating Barrie twice this week 

After two rainouts postponed Game 4 of the Intercounty Baseball League championship series between Kitchener and Barrie until Wednesday night, the Panthers have taken full advantage. Barrie held all the momentum in the series, surging to a 3-0 stranglehold before the weather stepped in. Now, after back-to-back wins on Wednesday and Thursday, the Panthers are back in the series. 

On Wednesday night in Kitchener, the potentially decisive game started out slow, going five innings scoreless, before the sixth provided fireworks. Barrie opened the scoring in the top half thanks to a couple of hits before a sacrifice fly brought home the first run of the game. In the bottom half, Yorbis Borroto legged out an infield single to start the rally, and two batters later he was cashed in by Liam Wilson’s double to center field. Brian Burton then walked, and the stage was set for Waterloo native Mike Gordner, who crushed his second homerun of the postseason, a three-run shot that gave the Panthers the lead. Next up, Zarley Cina provided some insurance with a solo shot that made the score 5-1 Kitchener. In the seventh, Kitchener starter Jasvir Rakkar, who pitched six and a third innings of excellent baseball, surrendered a double and a single before being lifted for Brady Schnarr, who promptly cleaned up the mess. Kitchener held on for the win, their first of the series, and headed back to Barrie for Game 5. 

Kitchener had little time to celebrate the win as the teams were back in action on Thursday night, with Barrie again having a chance to close out the series, this time at home. The Baycats had lost just five times at home in the regular season, but two were to Kitchener. The Panthers opened the scoring in the top of the first, scoring twice on a Liam Wilson RBI-double and a Mike Gordner sac-fly. Colin Gordner doubled the Panthers’ lead in the fourth, hitting a two-run homer that scored Jeff Hunt. Barrie got two runs back in the bottom half, though, and the score sat at 4-2 heading into the later innings. After they made the game 4-3 in the seventh, the Baycats tied the game dramatically in the eighth on a Ryan Spataro home run off Schnarr to culminate a tough six-pitch at bat. With the game tied, it headed into extra innings. There was no action until the top of the 11th, when a walk and an error put two men on for Kitchener with two outs. Tanner Nivins stepped to the plate, saw six pitches, then smacked a double to center field to bring home Hunt and Colin Gordner, giving Kitchener the 6-4 lead. With the bullpen getting thin and closer Miguel Lehara having pitched two innings already, the Panthers opted to go with starting pitcher Yoen Socarras to close out the game. On the second pitch he threw, Kevin Atkinson took him deep for Barrie, cutting the lead to 6-5. Socarras gave up a walk, but managed to pitch around the commotion and registered three outs to give Kitchener the huge road victory, 6-5 in extra innings. 

The championship series, now at 3-2 Barrie, will resume on Saturday night in Kitchener at Jack Couch Park. The Panthers will have an opportunity to tie the series on home soil and send it back to Barrie for a Game 7. Barrie is the five-time reigning champion of the IBL.