Panthers get throttled in Welland
WELLAND - It wasn't pretty.
Welland, the league's top team and fresh of winning it's third straight pennant, showcased it wasn't taking the foot off the gas pedal, even with its playoff seeding guaranteed.
Every Jackfish starter would record at least a hit, and took down the Kitchener Panthers 17-1 Thursday night.
Much of the story took place on the base path, as Welland would steal bases seemingly at will, swiping eight bags throughout the night. The Jackfish also took advantage of 14 singles on 18 hits overall.
Andy Vargas gave up eight runs (five earned) on nine hits in four innings of work for the loss. He struck out five and walked one.
Jose Dominguez took the win, going three innings of scoreless, hit less baseball for Welland. He struck out two and walked one.
Kitchener's lone run came in the ninth when the game was far out of reach.
The Panthers sit at 16-24 with two games left. They are a game behind Toronto for seventh.
The Maple Leafs (17-23) need to win both of its remaining games to guarantee seventh place, while Kitchener can claim seventh place with a win and two Toronto losses. Kitchener holds the tiebreaker over the Leafs after winning the season series.
Toronto's final two games are a home-and-home with the Brantford Red Sox Friday and Saturday.
Kitchener is in Guelph Saturday at 7:30 p.m. before hosting the Jackfish for the regular season finale Sunday at 2 p.m.