 By Staff
July 30, 2016
BURLINGTON. ON
The Burlington Bandits and Guelph Royals rounded out their 2016 season as the Bandits downed the Royals 8-3. Burlington (10-26) finished sixth while Guelph (7-29) finished eighth.
Burlington will meet Barrie in a first round quarter-final series while Guelph will meet the IBL pennant winner, either London or Kitchener.
 Adam Odd was a consistently strong player this year. Adam Odd led Burlington with three hits and three RBI’s including a two-run double in the first inning. Nolan Pettipiece also added two hits and two RBI’s for Burlington.
Matt Schmidt had two hits for Guelph who managed only three hits off four Burlington pitchers.
Jack Dennis (3-4) was the winning pitcher allowing only two hits in five innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Adrian Yuen (0-4) took the loss for Guelph, giving up six runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Future games
Sunday, July 31
Barrie at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Brantford at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
(End of regular schedule)
By Staff
July 30th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
If necessary, Monday’s one-game playoff between London and Kitchener to determine first place, will be played at 7:35 p.m. at Labatt Park in London.
The stage is set for a dramatic finish to the IBL regular season.
 With a dramatic 2-1 win over the first-place Kitchener Panthers at Labatt Park in London Friday night, the London Majors leapfrogged the Panthers and are in first place by half a game.
London finished its regular season schedule with a seven-game win streak and posted a 27-9 mark. Kitchener, which went 8-2 over its last 10 games, sits 26-9.
The two thoroughbreds have been neck-and-neck to the finish line and it’s not over yet.
While the Majors have completed their schedule, Kitchener plays host to the Brantford Red Sox Sunday night. If Kitchener beats Brantford, the Panthers will also have a 27-9 record and move into a first-place tie with London.
League rules say there is a one-game playoff to decide the pennant winner when two teams are tied for first. So if Kitchener can defeat Brantford Sunday night, the Panthers will get a good night’s sleep and head back to Labatt Park for the first-place showdown Monday night.
What a way to cap the long weekend!
London, because it has the better head-to-head record, is the host for the tie-breaker. Monday night’s game, if there is one, is scheduled for 7 p.m.
But don’t expect the Red Sox to roll over Sunday night because the game also means a lot to them. The Red Sox are 20-15 and are sitting in fourth place. The Toronto Maple Leafs are hot on their heels at 19-6.
 The Bandits whooping it up after winning a double header – in the 2015 season where the ended up in 5th place. So … if the Maple Leafs defeat Barrie Sunday afternoon at Christie Pits, they finish the season 20-16. If Kitchener defeats Brantford, the Red Sox are also 20-16, meaning those teams would be tied for fourth place.
Toronto has the edge in the season series against Brantford with three wins versus two losses.
So … a Toronto win Sunday afternoon versus Barrie and a Brantford loss to Kitchener Sunday night would give the Maple Leafs fourth spot and home-field advantage in their opening round series against the Red Sox.
And there’s also drama at the bottom of the standings. Guelph, which is in eighth spot, plays host to the Burlington Bandits tonight.
A win for the Royals would have them finish the season at 8-28 and pull them into a tie for seventh spot with the Hamilton Cardinals.
Guelph holds the edge in the season series, 3-2, against the Cardinals. So Guelph can lock up seventh-place with a win tonight.
The Burlington Bandits have a pretty secure hold on sixth place. Last year they managed to hold onto 5th place at the end of the IBL season with a final record of 15-21.
And, after all that, we have the playoffs.
By Staff
July 29th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The London Majors won their sixth straight game, beating the Burlington Bandits 10-6 Thursday night.
 RJ Fuhr went 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs. Michael Ambrose had two hits and drove in three and scored a run, Keith Kandel and Humberto Ruiz each singled twice and drove in a run, Chris MacQueen had an RBI and two runs, and Byron Reichstein drove in a run.
Owen Boon (5-1) went six innings for the win, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out three and walking four.
The second-place Majors improved to 26-9.
For Burlington, Robert Tavone doubled and drove in a run, Kevin Hussey singled and had an RBI, while Justin Gideon and Brad McQuinn each drove in a run. Julian Johnson and Carlos Villoria each singled twice.
Christian Hauck (3-5) took the loss, giving up six runs (three earned) on six hits, walking six and striking out four.
Sixth-place Burlington fell to 10-25.
In Barrie, the Baycats beat the Hamilton Cardinals 10-2 Thursday night.
Kyle DeGrace homered and drove in four and drove in two, Ryan Spataro singled three times, doubled and scored twice, Kevin Atkinson homered and had two RBI, Branfy Infante hit a solo home run, singled twice and scored three runs. Kyle Nichols and Jeremy Walker each had an RBI.
Adam Rowe (3-0) picked up the win, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings, striking out three and walking one.
Liam Wilson had a single and solo home run for Hamilton. Marcus Dicenzo had an RBI, and Geoffrey Soto had two hits and scored once.
Chris Lazar (1-5) allowed seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits over seven innings, striking out four and walking three.
Third-place Barrie improved to 24-11, and eighth-place Hamilton fell to 7-28.
 Future games
Friday, July 29
Guelph at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Kitchener at London, 7:35 p.m.
Toronto at Brantford, 8 p.m.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Bandits are part of the bottom three in the InterCounty Baseball League standings. Hamilton and Guelph are beneath Burlington.
The London Majors won their fifth straight game and can still finish first after their 12-3 win over the Burlington Bandits Wednesday night.
 London (25-9) trails Kitchener by a game but has two games remaining, including a showdown at home Friday against the Panthers.
Michael Ambrose led the offence against Burlington, going 3-for-5 with two singles and a triple. He added two RBI and a run. Chris MacQueen also had two singles and a triple, driving in a run and scoring twice. Keith Kandel had two hits, two RBI and two runs, while Kyle Gormandy and Tristan Buntrock each had two hits, an RBI and run.
Byron Reichstein had an RBI, and Carlos Arteaga added three hits and three runs.
Oscar Perez (6-3) went six innings for the win, scattering eight hits and two earned runs while striking out five without walking a batter.
Ryan Beckett (2-6) took the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) on 11 hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking three.
At the plate, Kevin Hussey singled, tripled and scored twice as Burlington fell to 10-24 and is locked into sixth place heading into playoffs next week.
Canice Ejoh had three hits, Robert Tavone doubled twice and drove in a run, Julian Johnson had an RBI, and Carlos Villoria singled twice and scored once.
In Brantford Brandon Dailey had three hits and three RBI to lead the Brantford Red Sox to a 7-1 win over the Guelph Royals Wednesday night.
Benjamin Bostick, Chris Dennis and Mike Burk all had a hit, RBI and run, Wayne Forman drove in a run, and Tyler Patzalek had two hits and a run.
Nathan Forer (7-2) picked up the win, throwing five innings and giving up a run on three hits, striking out six and walking two.
Fourth-place Brantford is 20-14 but three games back of Barrie.
Jeff MacLeod had the Royals’ RBI. Matt Schmidt picked up two hits and scored the lone run, while Adam Rossit singled twice.
Marc Andre-Major (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits in five innings, striking out seven and walking five.
Seventh-place Guelph is 7-27 and tied with Hamilton at the bottom of the standings.
Future games
Thursday, July 28
Hamilton at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
London at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.
By Staff
July 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The game was originally scheduled for July 14 but was rained out – the Bandits made it count when they finally took to the field.
 Carlos Villoria’s pinch hit, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Burlington Bandits a 7-6 win over the Barrie Baycats Monday night.
Villoria entered the game for Nolan Pettipiece with two outs and fell behind in the count before connecting on a 1-2 pitch from Chris Nagorski that scored Justin Gideon and Erik Werner.
Gideon led the offence with a home run, two singles, two RBI and two runs. Julian Johnson hit a solo home run, and Grant Okawa had an RBI.
Alex Nolan (1-1) went the distance and was charged with six runs on five hits, striking out 10 and walking four.
Kyle DeGrace homered twice and drove in three for the third-place Baycats, who dropped to 23-11.
Kyle Nichols added a two-run home run and Ryan Spataro singled twice and drove in a run.
Nagorski (1-2) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning, striking out one. Starter Brett Lawson went six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, striking out seven and walking one.
Sixth-place Burlington improved to 10-23.
Future games
Wednesday, July 27
Burlington at London, 7:35 p.m.
Guelph at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Thursday, July 28
Hamilton at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
London at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.
 By Staff
July 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Sport Field Status – July 25, 2016
The following diamonds are closed Monday July 25
Ireland Park diamonds D1, D2, D3, D4
Millcroft, diamonds D1, D2
Nelson Park diamond D1
By Staff
July 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
That game started June 26th – got rained out and was completed Sunday – the Bandits took it by one more run than the other guys – 11-10 over the Kitchener Panthers. On the 26th, Burlington was leading 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning
The Bandits didn’t do as well in the second game at the Jack Couch Park.
 In Game 2, Nivins homered, doubled and singled twice in the Panthers’ 12-3 win. Nivins drove in two and scored three runs. Gordner had four hits, four runs and three RBI, Whiteside doubled and drove in four and scored once, Interisano had two hits, an RBI and run, Sean Reilly went 2-for-4 with two runs, and Terrell Alliman drove in a pair.
Entenza went five innings for the win, scattering two runs on seven hits, striking out seven without issuing a walk.
Ejoh had three hits and an RBI to lead Burlington, which dropped to 9-23. Gideon singled, doubled and scored. Derek Zwolinksi (0-2) took the loss after giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 11 hits over six innings, walking four and striking out three.
Elsewhere in the league, the Leafs took the game over the Red Sox in the 10th inning
Sean Mattson’s two-out blast in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 14-13 win over the Brantford Red Sox Sunday afternoon.
Mattson’s home run was his second of the game and seventh of the season. He added a three-run shot in the third inning and finished with five RBI and three runs. Justin Marra hit two solo home runs and scored four runs. Grant Tamane doubled twice, singled twice and drove in two, Jonathan Solazzo had a pair of RBI, Damon Topolie had three hits and an RBI, and Ryan White went 2-for-5 with an RBI and run. Matt Blair-Brown added two hits and scored twice, and Jon Waltenbury singled once and scored twice.
Adam Marra (1-1)earned the win, giving up one run on one hit while getting the last four outs. Marra didn’t strike out or walk anyone. Mike Wagner started and yielded seven runs on eight hits over six innings, walking five and striking out two.
Benjamin Bostick hit two of the Red Sox five home runs. Bostick added a single, double, four RBI and three runs. Ricky Murray homered and drove in five, Chris Dennis and Jeff Hunt combined for two hits, two RBI and five runs, Dennon Koziol had an RBI, and Josh McCurdy had two hits and a run.
Matt Betts (3-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on one hits without registering an out in the 10th inning. Starter Riley Barr went five innings and allowed seven runs on 10 hits, striking out six and walking one.
The win was Toronto’s third straight, as the fifth-place Leafs improved to 18-16. Fourth-place Brantford fell to 19-14.
The Barrie Baycats’ bats came alive in a 10-1 win over the Guelph Royals Sunday night.
Eight different Barrie players had at least one hit, and the Baycats pounded out 18 hits overall.
Ryan Spataro had four hits and scored three runs, Kyle DeGrace went 1-for-4 with three RBI, Jordan Castaldo had three hits and three RBI, Kevin Atkinson doubled twice, singled and drove in a run, Jeff Cowan singled, doubled and scored, and Glenn Jackson added three hits, two runs and an RBI.
Emilis Guerrero (4-1) picked up the win, giving up an unearned run on two hits over seven innings, striking out eight and walking one.
AJ Mackey (2-6) took the loss for Guelph, surrendering four runs on nine hits over four innings, striking out four and walking three.
At the plate, Kyle Alarcon doubled as the Royals mustered just three hits.
Third-place Barrie improved to 23-10, and seventh-place Guelph dropped to 7-26 after its fifth straight loss.
In Hamilton the London Majors beat the Hamilton Cardinals 6-5 Sunday afternoon.
RJ Fuhr, Michael Ambrose and Byron Reichstein each had two hits and an RBI as the second-place Majors improved to 24-9. Humberto Ruiz had an RBI, and Keith Kandel singled once and scored twice.
Cory Hammond (4-1) threw 6.2 innings of one-hit ball but walked nine Hamilton hitters. Hammond was charged with five runs (one earned) and struck out five.
Byron Runyon threw 2.1 no-hit innings to preserve the win, walking three and striking out two for his second save.
Marcus Dicienzo had the Cardinals’ lone hit, a single to start the sixth.
Russ Burroughs (1-4) took the loss, giving up a run on three hits in 1.1 innings, striking out one.
Starter Robert Wilson went 3.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits, walking nine and striking out two.
Last-place Hamilton fell to 7-27.
By Staff
July 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Kitchener Panthers beat Brantford Red Sox 10-4 Friday night for their fifth straight win.
 Hamilton Cardinals were beaten by Toronto Maple Leafs in a 9-5 road win.
The London Majors hung on for an 8-5 win over the Guelph Royals Friday night.
The Burlington Bandit bats were idle.
Future games
Saturday, July 23
Toronto at Burlington, 1 p.m.
London at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
Barrie at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 24
Brantford at Toronto, 2 p.m.
London at Hamilton, 2 p.m.
Guelph at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Burlington at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
 By Staff
July 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Barrie Baycats stayed hot, beating the Burlington Bandits 7-5 Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.
Kyle Nichols went 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Jeremy Walker had two hits and two RBI. Kyle DeGrace singled twice and scored twice while driving in a run, and Jeff Cowan singled, doubled and scored once.
Adam Rowe (2-0) went six innings for the win, allowing five runs on 10 hits, striking out two and walking one. Chris Nagorski was perfect over 1.2 innings and struck out three for his fourth save of the season.
 Brad McQuinn had two hits and two RBI to lead the Bandits. Adam Odd singled twice and drove in a run, while John Whaley and Grant Okawa each had an RBI.
Ryan Beckett (2-5) took the loss, giving up six runs on nine hits over five innings, walking eight and striking out one.
Second-place Barrie improved to 22-9, and sixth-place Burlington fell to 8-21.
Elsewhere in the league the Kitchener Panthers beat the Hamilton Cardinals in slugfest.
The runs came in bunches Thursday night in Kitchener as the Panthers beat the Hamilton Cardinals 20-12. Kitchener trailed 6-0 after two innings but scored seven in the third and eighth in the fourth to pull away.
Sean Reilly hit a grand slam to lead the Panthers. His 13th home run of the season sparked Kitchener’s third inning comeback.
Tanner Nivins went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs, Frank Camilo Morejon hit his second home run as and drove in four. He added two singles and scored three runs. David Whiteside went 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs, Terrell Alliman had an RBI and three runs, Mike Andrulis drove in a run and Luke Baker had three hits, three runs and two RBI.
Andrew Simonetti (1-1) picked up the win, allowing five runs on seven hits in three innings of relief. He struck out two and walked one.
Starter Eric Hall lasted 1.2 innings and gave up six runs on six hits, striking out two and walking one.
The first-place Panthers improved to 24-7 with their fourth straight victory.
 For Hamilton, Liam Wilson had a home run, double, two RBI and four runs. Dre Celestijn singled and hit a solo home run while scoring three times. TJ Baker singled and homered and drove in three, Tyler Hardie had three hits and two RBI, Callum Murphy had two RBI and David Vanderby drove in a run.
Russ Burroughs (1-3) took the loss, allowing four runs on one hit with two walks in an inning. He didn’t strike out a batter. Kyle Adoranti started and went 2.1 innings, giving up seven runs on five hits with three walks and no strikeouts.
Last-place Hamilton fell to 7-25.
Future games
Friday, July 22
Toronto at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Guelph at London, 7:35 p.m.
Kitchener at Brantford, 8 p.m.
By Staff
June 20th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Bandits snapped a two-game skid with an 11-5 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night.
 Beating the Leafs will certainly do a lot for the morale of the Bandits but the distance between the bottom three teams in the league and the top five is a lot to over come. It’s pretty clear where the winners are at this point in the season. Julian Johnson went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs. Justin Whaley had four hits, three RBI and scored twice,
Justin Gideon singled twice and drove in a run and scored once, Carlos Villoria had two hits, an RBI and run, and Nolan Pettipiece added a double, RBI and run. Kevin Hussey had two hits and scored twice, and Robert Tavone singled and doubled.
Jack Dennis (2-4) picked up the win, allowing three runs on two hits over seven innings, striking out 10 and walking six.
The sixth-place Bandits improved to 8-20.
Justin Marra had two hits for the Leafs, including his 11th home run of the season. Marra drove in two.
Ryan White added a single and RBI and scored once.
Brett van Pelt (1-5) took the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits over six innings, walking two and striking out eight.
Fifth-place Toronto fell to 15-16.
Future games
Thursday, July 21
Hamilton at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.
Burlington at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 22
Toronto at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Guelph at London, 7:35 p.m.
Kitchener at Brantford, 8 p.m.
 By Staff
July 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Noelvis Entenza struck out nine batters over seven innings as the Kitchener Panthers beat the Burlington Bandits 7-2 Saturday afternoon.
 Both runs Entenza (7-3) allowed were earned and came on two hits. He also walked three.
David Whiteside led the offence with his seventh home run of the season and three RBI. Mike Gordner had two hits and an RBI, and Sean Reilly drove in his 44th run of the season.
For Burlington, Nolan Pettipiece had two hits and an RBI. Julian Johnson doubled and scored, and John Whaley had an RBI.
Branden Kuzyk (0-3) allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out four and walking five.
The first-place Panthers improved to 22-7 after their second straight victory, and the sixth-place Bandits dropped to 7-20.
In Barrie the Baycats knock off Red Sox Baycats moved within a half game of second place after their 11-6 win over the Brantford Red Sox Saturday night.
Barrie improved to 19-9 and is a half game back of London, which has lost three straight.
Jeff Cowan and Kyle DeGrace each had three hits, two runs and two RBI to lead the offence. Kevin Atkinson went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI, while Glenn Jackson had three hits, an RBI and run. Conner Morro drove in a run, and Ryan Spataro had a hit and scored twice.
Adam Rowe (1-0) picked up the win, giving up six runs (five earned) on 13 hits over five innings. Rowe didn’t have a strikeout or walk.
Ricky Murray had two hits and two RBI for the fourth-place Red Sox, which dropped to 18-12. Chris Dennis had two hits, two runs and an RBI, Wayne Forman singled twice, and Dennon Koziol and Nic Burdett each had two hits and a run. Brandon Dailey and Jeff Hunt each drove in a run, and Tyler Patzalek had two hits.
Matt Martinow (1-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits in three innings, without recording a strikeout or walk. Riley Barr started and went three innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on seven hits, striking out four and walking one.
In Guelph the Royals scored all of their runs in the fourth inning of a 7-6 win over the Hamilton Cardinals Saturday night.
Guelph had five hits in the inning, including Chandler McLaren’s two-run home run with no out. Santino Silvestri hit a two-run double, and Trevor Nyp had an RBI single.
Nathan Dallas-Blackburn added two hits and a run.
 A summer evening with a baseball game under the lights – hearing the snap of the bat as all the eyes in the stands follow the arc of the ball. Alberto Rodriguez (3-2) picked up the win, going 6.1 innings and allowing five runs on four hits, striking out 11 and walking five.
AJ Mackey picked up his first save, giving up a run on two hits in an inning, striking out two.
For Hamilton, Dre Celestijn and Tyler Hardie each hit home runs. Hardie finished with three hits and two RBI. TJ Baker drove in two and scored twice, and Lake Molleson had an RBI.
Kyle Adoranti (0-6) gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits over 3.2 innings, striking out five and walking two.
The seventh-place Royals improved to 7-21, and the last-place Cardinals dropped to 7-23. The Bandits sit atop the two with a 7-20 record.
Future games
Sunday, July 17
London at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Barrie at Hamilton, 2 p.m.
Guelph at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
By Staff
July 16th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They certainly dropped the Hammer on us.
The Hamilton Cardinals pounded out 14 hits in a 17-1 win over the Burlington Bandits Friday night.
 Tyler Hardie went 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs to lead the seventh-place Cards, who improved to 7-22. Chris Beer singled three times and drove in three and scored once, while Nate Mastervick hit a solo home run and single and scored three times. Dre Celestijn went 2-for-4 with two RBI and four runs, Liam Wilson drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, TJ Baker and Jake Foden each had an RBI, and Marcus Dicenzo added a single, RBI and two runs.
Robert Wilson (2-4) went eight innings for the win, allowing one run on five hits, striking out six and walking two.
Justin Gideon had a solo home run for the sixth-place Bandits, who fell to 7-19. Alex Nolan added a double.
Derek Zwolinski (0-1) took the loss, lasting four innings and giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, walking three and striking out three.
In Brantford the Red Sox took a 12-2 win over the Guelph Royals all the way to the bank Friday night.
Burdett drilled a three-run blast in the sixth inning and singled three times. Wayne Forman went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run, Dennon Koziol had two RBI, while Benjamin Bostick and Jeff Hunt each drove in a run. Tyler Patzalek, Ricky Murray and Chris Dennis combined for five hits and five runs.
On the mound, Nathan Forer (6-2) went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, striking out six and walking one.
For Guelph, Adam Rossit had the lone RBI. Matt Schmidt went 2-for-2 with a run and walk.
Daniel Marquez (0-2) took the loss, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits in 2.2 innings. Marquez walked seven and didn’t record a strikeout.
The fourth-place Red Sox improved to 18-11, and the last-place Royals dropped to 6-21.
Elsewhere in the league pitcher Deska strikes out 13 in Toronto Leafs win over the London Majors.
Marek Deska went seven scoreless innings and struck out 13 as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the London Majors 5-0 Friday night.
Deska (2-1) scattered six hits and didn’t walk a batter as the fifth-place Leafs improved to 15-14.
Grant Tamane drove in a pair of runs in the win. Connor Lewis, Will Richards and Damon Topolie each had an RBI.
RJ Fuhr had two of London’s seven hits. Carlos Arteaga singled and stole two bases.
Owen Boon (4-1) allowed four runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking four.
The second-place Majors (20-9) dropped their third straight and trail Kitchener by 1.5 games.
Future games
Saturday, July 16
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Brantford at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Hamilton at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 17
London at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Barrie at Hamilton, 2 p.m.
Guelph at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
By Staff
July 15th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Thursday night’s game in Burlington between the Bandits and Barrie Baycats was suspended due to rain. The game was tied 2-2 after Barrie’s Jordan Castaldo and Burlington’s Kevin Hussey traded two-run homers. No completion date has been announced.
 In Kitchener, there was no rain and the Panthers won the second half of a home-and-home against Toronto, beating the Maple Leafs 14-6 Thursday night.
David Whiteside had two hits and four RBI to lead the first-place Panthers (21-7), who lost in Toronto on Wednesday. Mike Glinka had three hits, two RBI and a run, Sean Reilly singled twice and drove in two, while Mike Andrulis added two hits, two runs and an RBI.
Jonathan Brouse had a double, two RBI and three runs. Tanner Nivins and Ryan Douse each scored twice, and LeJon Baker came around to score three times.
Ian Rendon (5-1) picked up the win, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits over five innings, striking out five and walking five.
Brett van Pelt (1-4) took the loss, going 4.2 innings and giving up 10 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits. Van Pelt walked five and struck out three.
At the plate, Justin Marra hit a two-run home run. Connor Lewis and Ryan White each had two-run singles with the bases loaded, and Dan Marra went 3-for-4 with two runs.
The fifth-place Leafs fell to 14-14.
Future games
Friday, July 15
Burlington at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at London, 7:35 p.m.
Guelph at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 16
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Brantford at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Hamilton at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
By Staff
July 14th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Bandits were idle Wednesday evening – they put a team on the diamond when the Barrie Baycats come to town.
 Elsewhere in the league the Toronto Leafs knock off first-place Kitchener Panthers in a 10-7 game and the Brantford Red Sox survived a late London rally and beat the Majors 5-4 Wednesday night.
Toronto (14-13) is in fifth place.
Fourth-place Brantford improved to 17-11.
Future games
Thursday, July 14
Toronto at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.
Barrie at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 15
Burlington at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at London, 7:35 p.m.
Guelph at Brantford, 8 p.m.
By Staff
July 13, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They held it together until the eighth inning and then opened the floodgates and put seven runs on the scoreboard to beat the Guelph Royal 8-5 at a game played in Guelph,
 The Bandits were using their bats.
Canice Ejoh went 3-for-5 and hit his first home run of the season to lead the Bandits offence. Ejoh had three RBI. Nolan Pettipiece had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Julian Johnson and Justin Gideon had the other RBIs. Kevin Hussey singled, doubled and scored a run, and Brad McQuinn scored a pair of runs.
Christian Hauck (3-3) went eight innings for the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, striking out eight and walking seven.
For Guelph, Aaron Loder singled, doubled and drove in three. Guelph scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth but fell short. Kyle Alarcon had an RBI and scored twice, and Chandler McLaren also had an RBI. Adam Rossit singled once and scored twice.
Richard Gill (2-3) took the loss after failing to get an out in the ninth inning in relief of AJ Mackey. Gill was charged with two runs on two hits and didn’t record a walk or strikeout.
The sixth-place Bandits improved to 7-18, and the seventh-place Royals dropped to 6-20.
Future games
Wednesday, July 13
Kitchener at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
London at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Thursday, July 14
Toronto at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.
Barrie at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.
 By Pepper Parr
July 11th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Some momentum is being lost and the boaters at LaSalle Park are now facing an uphill battle to get the funding the need in place for the expansion the LaSalle Park Maria Association has in mind.
John Birch has been a tireless advocate for an upgraded harbour that would protect the boats from some of the rough waves that would roll in and was doing very well with his plans.
 Trumpeter swans were once the biggest problem the LaSalle Park Marina Association had in getting approval for their wave barrier project. It isn’t the swans putting on th brakes – city hall is taking a closer look at the business model. He had run into some resistance from the Trumpeter Swan people who felt the planned harbour would take their habitat away from the birds.
That isn’t the main problem anymore.
The LPMA financing always looked like a bit of a stretch but in the past the association had always met the financial obligations.
 The LaSalle PArk Marina Association wanted to build a wave barrier – the financial model they have used is making city hall uncomfortable. While the current project is quite a bit bigger than anything they had done in the past it appeared to have merit and it was getting past all the milestones.
The harbour the boaters want to put in place certainly had a number of significant benefits for the city.
Birch and ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven get along well and Craven does not like losing something his residents want. Expect some tension to surround this one as it gets worked through.
A Staff report had been prepared and put into the agenda for the current cycle of Standing Committee meetings – then it was pulled from the agenda.
“The primary reason” said city manager James Ridge “is that I believe that Council needs to consider the report in a bigger context, and a broader range of questions about the project.
“The report’s observations are also arguably at odds with a recent resolution of Council to provide a letter of support to the LPMA for grant-seeking purposes. This is further reason for Council to pause to consider the project from a more holistic perspective.
“The project involves City owned assets, and it is unusual to have a Joint Venture partner take on the financing for project of this size which invariably entails risks to both the City and LPMA. At this point we don’t have a detailed costing of the breakwater construction, however the City would very likely be responsible for any cost overruns. And as the report points out, we have concerns about the financial model, including the likely need for a loan from the city with 25 year or more repayment. This would also be unprecedented and have inherent risks.”
 City manager James Ridge “In comments made to the Gazette Ridge said: “The LPMA was unhappy with the report. However it was intended to be an independent arms-length assessment of their business case. The LPMA was very helpful in providing detailed financial records, and met with staff to answer questions before the report was prepared, but clearly disagree with the conclusions. They have provided additional information that we have reviewed, and we will meet with them again, but the report will reflect the City’s independent objective assessment of LPMA’s business case.”
Ridge as a city manager is turning out to be very fiscally prudent – no risk taking on his watch. Wonder what would have happened to the Pier had Ridge been on the job?
The Gazette will analyze the city staff report and publish a follow up piece.
Touch times for the boaters.
By Staff
July 10, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Barrie Baycats piled up 28 runs on 25 hits in a 28-0 shutout of the Burlington Bandits.
Ouch!
 Kyle Degrace was 5-for-5 with six RBI’s including a double and home run to lead Barrie. Zach Sardellitti also had five hits and seven RBI’s with Conner Morro adding four hits and four RBI’s. Ryan Spataro and Kevin Atkinson each had three hits and three RBI’s and a home run. Jordan Castaldo also had two hits and two RBI’s including a home run for Barrie.
Emilis Guerrero (2-1) was the winning pitcher allowing only three hits in seven innings with 16 strikeouts. He was relieved by Brandon Catena who pitched the final two innings. Jack Dennis (1-4) was the loser, giving up 11 runs on seven hits including five home runs in 3.1 innings.
In Brantfoed the second-place Kitchener Panthers (19-6) kept pace with the first-place London Majors with a 6-1 victory over the Brantford Red Sox (16-11). Brantford is in fourth place.
Tanner Nivins led the Panthers with three hits with Terrell Alliman and Dave Whiteside adding two hits each including a double.
For Brantford, Tyler Patzalek had two hits.
Matt McGovern (4-0) was the winning pitcher, giving up four hits in 5.2 innings of shutout baseball. He walked one and struckout five and was relieved by Ian Rendon, Iannick Remillard and Phil Owen who finished up. Riley Barr (1-1) took the loss for Brantford, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
In Guelph, the Royals (6-18) jumped out to a 6-0 first inning lead enroute to an 11-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs (12-13). Guelph remains in a sixth place tie, 5 ½ games behind the fifth-place Toronto.
Santino Silvestri and Chandler McLaren each had three hits to lead Guelph with Silvestri adding three RBI’s and McLaren one. Pat Coughlin had two hits and two RBI’s and Kinglsey Alarcon adding contributing two hits.
Alberto Rodriguez (2-2) was the winning pitcher, allowing only one run on three hits, one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings. Justin Cicatello (3-3) took the loss for Toronto, giving up 11 runs, only six earned, on six hits in 6.2 innings. He walked four and struck out four.
Future games
Sunday, July 10
Guelph at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Hamilton at Barrie, 7 p.m.
London at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
By Staff
July 9th, 2016
Burlington, ON
IBL games rained out.
Rain forced the postponement of two IBL games Friday night. London was hosting Burlington and Guelph was in Brantford. Make-up dates have not been announced. Panthers double Cardinals
It didn’t rain in Hamilton but the bats of the Kitchener Panthers racked up 17 hits in a 14-7 win over the Hamilton Cardinals Friday night.
 Justin Interisano had three of those hits, including a home run, and added three RBI and three runs. Sean Reilly hit his 11th home run of the season and 156th of his IBL career. He drove in three and scored four times. David Whiteside went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs. Mike Gordner added three hits, two RBI and a run, while Frank Camilo Morejon drove in a pair of runs.
Terrell Alliman had a single RBI, and Tanner Nivins singled three times and scored twice.
Mitch Clarke (1-0) picked up the win after giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits over five innings, striking out four without issuing a walk.
Second-place Kitchener improved to 18-6 and trails London by a game for first place.
Liam Wilson went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs to lead the Cardinals, who fell to 6-21.
Tyler Hardie and Dre Celestijn each had two hits and an RBI, and Chris Beer drove in a run.
Robert Wilson (1-4) lasted an inning and gave up seven runs on seven hits with a pair of walks.
Future games
Saturday, July 9
Barrie at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Toronto at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
Kitchener at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 10
Guelph at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Hamilton at Barrie, 7 p.m.
London at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
By Staff
July 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The London Majors increased their lead atop the IBL standings after a 9-2 win over the Burlington Bandits Thursday night.
London (20-6) moved 1.5 games ahead of Kitchener for first place.
Keith Kandel had two hits, two RBI and a run, while LeJon Baker hit a solo home run. Byron Reichstein added two hits and an RBI, and Carlos Arteaga drove in two and scored once. Michael Ambrose had the Majors’ other RBI.
 Bandits are still ahead of Hamilton – now to get in front of Toronto Starter Owen Boon (4-0) was sharp, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking two.
Burlington’s Ryan Beckett (2-4) took the loss, giving up six runs (five earned) on 10 hits over seven innings. Beckett struck out four and walked three.
At the plate, Julian Johnson had the lone RBI. Justin Gideon had two hits, Canice Ejoh singled twice and scored twice, and John Whaley added a pair of singles.
The sixth-place Bandits fell to 6-17.
Elsewhere in the league the Toronto Maple Leafs spread the offence around in a 13-8 win over the host Barrie Baycats Thursday night.
Five players drove in at least two runs as the fifth-place Leafs improved to 12-12.
Leadoff batter Connor Lewis had a home run, two RBI and three runs. Dan Marra added a three-run home run, while Jon Waltenbury had two hits, two RBI and two runs, and Will Richards had two RBI.
Grant Tamane singled three times and scored three times.
Dillon Mulholland (4-2) picked up the win, going seven innings and allowing six runs on 11 hits, walking three and striking out two.
Kevin Atkinson led the Baycats with a home run, two singles and two RBI. Kyle DeGrace drove in a pair, while Zach Sardelletti had two hits and an RBI and Glenn Jackson drove in a run and scored twice. Jeff Cowan and Branfy Infante each had three hits and a run.
Conner Morro singled twice.
Cole White (3-1) gave up eight runs (two earned) on five hits over 3.1 innings. White struck out one and walked five.
Third-place Barrie dropped to 16-9.
Future games
Friday, July 8
Kitchener at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Burlington at London, 7:35 p.m.
Guelph at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 9
Barrie at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Toronto at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
Kitchener at Brantford, 8 p.m.
 By Staff
July 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s that time of year again!
More than 45 dragon boat teams will paddle competitively to raise funds to further the protection of Hamilton Harbour.
July 9th, dragon boat races will run all day at Bayfront Park starting at 8 a.m.
 Several of the 45 dragon boats that will compete on Saturday. BARC’s Harbour Huggers team needs you to cheer us on and pledge our paddlers!
All funds raised in support of the Bay Area Restoration Council and the remediation of Hamilton Harbour.
Does Burlington have a boat in this race?
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