Baycats sweep Cardinals

BARRIE – The Baycats will get to defend their championship.  

Barrie punched its ticket to the Dominico Cup final after sweeping Hamilton in the best-of-five semifinal. The second-place Baycats, who went the distance with Toronto in the first round, outscored fifth-place Hamilton 17-2.  

Francisco Hernandez homered, and Juan Benitez threw eight innings in Barrie’s 5-1 series-clinching win on Tuesday at Athletic Kulture Stadium.  

Leading 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Hernandez hit a two-run blast to give Barrie some breathing room. Brandon Hernandez went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Noel McGarry Doyle singled twice, scored twice and stole a base.  

Benitez (1-1) allowed a run on four hits. He walked two and fanned four. His only blemish was a Jaden Brown home run in the top of the eighth.  

Yolki Pena doubled for the Cardinals, who had five hits.  

Freisis Adames (0-1) took the loss on the mound after giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked one.