By Justin Lethbridge
July 25, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Despite stretches of great play, the Bandits were handily beaten by 2nd place Kitchener 9-3 in their final home game of the season. While both teams struggled with the gusty conditions at Nelson Park, Kitchener stuck to hard, ground hits to get players on base and wear the Bandits down.
The Bandits were swinging – they just weren’t hitting the ball.
Kitchener got off to a quick start in the 1st inning thanks to four earned runs. Despite a poor first, Bandits pitcher Brandon Nemeti upped his play and allowed only three hits and one run over the next six innings to finish the game with a 9.82 ERA in seven innings of work.
The home town crowd would have liked to see a win at the last home game of the season – it wasn’t to be. Last game of the regular season is against Toronto in Toronto
The Bandits would score off a wild pitch in the 3rd inning before the teams went scoreless through the next two innings. Although Kitchener increased their lead to 5-1 in the 6th, a Justin Gideon two-run blast in bottom of the inning narrowed the lead to 5-3.
That was as close as Burlington would get as the Panthers would add two runs in the 8th and hit back-to-back home runs to the exact same spot in the 9th.
Panthers First baseman Sean Reilly was especially potent with three runs and two RBI’s in five AB’s.
Burlington’s last game of the season on Monday night at 7:30pm as they hope to break a three game losing streak in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.
