Maple Leafs hold off Jackfish comeback

WELLAND — The Toronto Maple Leafs spoiled the Welland Jackfish’s home crowd on Canada Day, picking up a hard-fought 4-2 victory in Intercounty Baseball League action Tuesday night at Welland Stadium.
Jhon Javier paced the Leafs’ offense, going 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Marcus Knecht and Spencer MacInnis each crossed the plate to help Toronto (11-11) climb back to .500 on the season.
Maple Leafs starter Josh Berenbaum turned in a stellar outing, tossing six shutout innings while striking out five and scattering five hits to earn the win. Nathan Currah bridged two scoreless frames before Welland (14-6) mounted a late push in the ninth. Luis Florentino allowed two runs but closed the door with a pair of strikeouts to seal the win.
Welland out-hit Toronto 9-7 but couldn’t cash in on key opportunities, stranding nine runners. Pier-Olivier Boucher led the Jackfish with a 2-for-5 night and drove in both of Welland’s runs in the ninth.
Jackfish starter James Bradwell was solid over five innings, striking out six while allowing just one unearned run but took the tough-luck loss — his first of the season.
The Leafs struck in the fifth and sixth innings before adding insurance in the seventh. Despite a late rally from the Jackfish, including a double from Greyson Barrett and RBI single by Boucher, the comeback fell short in front of 3,248 fans.
Toronto improves to 11-11, while Welland falls to 14-6 but remains atop the IBL standings. The Maple Leafs host the Barrie Baycats on July 4 at 7:35pm, while the Jackfish host the Brantford Red Sox on July 3 at 7:15pm.