Baycats lock up second seed

BARRIE – Barrie locked up the playoffs’ second seed after an 8-4 home win on Sunday against London.  

The Baycats trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the sixth when Nolan Machibroda’s three-run blast capped a five-run frame. Machibroda also had a sacrifice fly. Tyler Plumpton and Noel McGarry Doyle each had two hits and an RBI, while Noah Hull and Hayden Jaco both scored twice.  

Juan Benitez (6-2) went seven innings to nab the win. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with three walks and six punchouts. Frank Garces tossed two scoreless innings for his first save. He struck out three.  

Barrie (24-18) will take on Toronto in the quarter-final.  

Byron Reuchstein hit a two-run home run for the third-place Majors (24-18), who will face Guelph in the first round of playoffs. Brad Verhoeven and Ken Sugi drove in the other runs.  

Victor Payano (6-4) took the loss. Four of the eight runs he allowed were unearned thanks to three London errors. He scattered nine hits, walked three and struck out eight.