Panthers get two-game split on the road

HAMILTON/GUELPH - The Kitchener Panthers are coming home after a mixed bag of results on the road this weekend.

After losing 6-4 in Hamilton Friday night, the bats came out in Guelph and the Panthers nabbed a 9-4 win over the Royals Saturday afternoon at Hastings Stadium.

CARDINALS 6, PANTHERS 4

The Panthers made a game of it late, but former MLB star Fernando Rodney shut things down for Hamilton.

The Cardinals had a 5-1 lead at the end of four innings, but Kitchener answered back with a big three-run seventh, capped by a two-run double from Yunior Ibarra to make it a one-run game.

Yosuke Fujie led off the game with a solo home run off Owen Boon.

The top of the order was strong for Kitchener, with Fujie, Yordan Manduley and Yosvani Penalver going a combined eight-for-14 on the night.

But Boon was otherwise steady after giving up the long ball, going six innings for the win.

He gave up just the one run on seven hits, and struck out nine Panther batters.

Andy Vargas was tagged with the loss, giving up 12 hits in seven innings of work, striking out five, walking two and giving up six runs (five earned).

Former league MVP Tyler Duncan led the way for Hamilton, going four-for-five with a three-run home run in the second inning.

BOXSCORE

PANTHERS 9, ROYALS 4

A pair of early home runs put the Panthers up big, and they never looked back against their Highway 7 rivals.

Yosuke Fujie hit a lead off home run for the second time in two days, this one his league-leading fifth of the year to get the Panthers on the board. Yosvani Penalver had a two-run shot in the second that put the Panthers up 5-0 at that point.

Guelph would close the gap to two runs at one point, but a three-run eighth sealed the deal for Kitchener.

Fujie drove in three of Kitchener's runs.

Iyad Ansari went oh-for-two in his IBL debut, playing in right field.

Evan Elliott got the win, fanning five in six innings of work. He gave up four runs, but only one of them came in earned, as Guelph took advantage of fielding errors.

Reigning IBL pitcher of the year Jacob Kush took the loss, going six innings and giving up seven hits and six runs (five earned).

Former Panther Liam Wilson went one-for-four in his first game against his former club.

BOXSCORE

Kitchener goes to 4-5 on the season. Up next, the Panthers meet the Royals in Kitchener Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

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