Majors open title defence with win over Leafs

Photo by Matt Hiscox

TORONTO - London kicked off the 103^rd Intercounty Baseball League season and opened defence of its title by defeating Toronto in a rematch of last season’s championship series.

Andrew Lawrence, who wasn’t on the Majors’ team that knocked off the Leafs in five games last fall for its first title in 46 years, went 4-for-4 with a run and two RBI in London’s 6-3 victory Sunday afternoon at Christie Pits.

Majors’ veteran Cleveland Brownlee kicked off his 12^th season with the club by drilling a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning.

Chris McQueen and Phil Whelan drove in the other runs. Robert Mullen singled and doubled and Taylor Wright scored twice.

Owen Boon (1-0) went five innings for the win, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Jose Arias earned the four-inning save, yielding a run on four hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Grant Tamane had two hits and an RBI for the Leafs. Brady CzerKonjk went 3-for-4 with two runs and Johnathan Solazzo added an RBI.

Zach Sloane (0-1) took the loss in relief, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits over two innings. He walked two and struck out one. Toronto starter Marek Deska went three innings, giving up a run on two hits with three walks and a strikeout.