Panthers Drop Slugfest

In a game it seemed that neither team had it’s best pitching performance of the season, one might have anticipated it would come down to the very end.

The ball was flying out of Jack Couch early on Sunday afternoon.  Hamilton opened the scoring in the 1st on a solo home run by Jake Chiaravalle.  Kitchener answered in the bottom of the 2nd on a two run home run by Zach Johnson to give the Panthers a brief lead.

That lead would last until the 4th inning when Hamilton exploded for six runs (five earned) off of Panthers starter Christian Hauck.  The first seven Cardinal batters in the inning reached base safely.  Jacob Martins had a two run single to highlight the inning for Hamilton.

Kitchener would start to claw their way back into the game in the 5th inning with a four run frame of their own off of Hamilton starter Ben Braun.  Liam Wilson stayed hot for the Panthers by having a four hit day.  He would deliver a RBI single in the frame and came around to score on a bases loaded double by Zach Johnson.  Johnson would be gunned down at 3rd trying to take an extra base on a throwing error by Hamilton left fielder Laine Renaud.

Hamilton got a big insurance run in the 8th off of Mike Schnurr to make it an 8-6 game.  Renaud lined a single into center to score Jacob Martins.  Kitchener would tie the game in the bottom of the 8th when Yorbis Borroto came around to score on a RBI single by Zarley Cina with two outs in the frame.  

Unfortunately for the Panthers Hamilton would take the lead for good in the 9th when Grant Arnold battled Miguel Lahera and lined a ball just fair over the wall in right for a two run home run and a 10-8 lead.  That would hold for the Cardinals as the Panthers got a runner on in the 9th but couldn’t come back again.

Kitchener is home to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at 7:30pm for a makeup of a rain out from earlier in the season.