KITCHENER PANTHERS
13-TIME IBL CHAMPIONS
Kitchener Panthers
menuPanthers' bats go cold in Welland
WELLAND - For the second night in a row, one bad inning turned a close game into a nightmare for the Kitchener Panthers.
A shorthanded Panthers team got an early 4-0 lead, but Welland chipped away and tied it in the fifth.
In the sixth, everything went wrong. A six-run inning for the Jackfish propelled them to an 11-4 win Thursday.
After taking the four-run lead, Kitchener did not have a base runner at any time after the third. Welland went perfect after Yunior Ibarra's lead off single in the third inning, which was erased on a double play on the next batter.
To make matters worse, an already shorthanded Kitchener team had two players tossed in the sixth.
Spencer Voisin was ejected in the top of the inning for arguing balls and strikes, and the recently signed Jack Anderson - a pitcher making his first IBL appearance on offense and the starting designated hitter - moved to Voisin's spot in left field.
David Bruinsma was ejected by the umpiring crew after walking off the mound following his appearance.
Nathan Laird also took hacks in the batter's box for the first time since 2022 as the starting right fielder. He went one-for-three and got his first career IBL RBI.
Fellow pitcher Adam Robertson was retired on a strikeout in the ninth in his only at bat.
Ben Abram led the way for Welland, striking out 11 in seven innings in the win. He gave up all seven Panthers hits.
It was a big second inning for Kitchener. Laird's one-out single into left field brought in the first of three runs.
After Jorden Carthy scored on an error to the catcher, Simon Grinberg hit a one-run double to make it 4-0.
Raul Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 11 straight outings, going two-for-four.
Yadian Martinez struck out six in five innings of work. He gave up four runs on 10 hits, and walked a pair of Jackfish.
Jake Sanford led the Jackfish attack with four hits, including two home runs. Greyson Barrett hit a two-run homer in the second inning.
Kitchener falls to 11-25 on the season, and have a big game Saturday afternoon in Brantford at 2 p.m.
The Panthers are just half a game up on the last place Red Sox with six games left, though Kitchener has a game in hand on Brantford.