Brewers extend unbeaten streak to five with win and tie in NDBL action

By Jim Stewart

The Bolton Brewers earned 3 of 4 points in their recent road trip to retain first place in the North Dufferin Baseball League.

Bolton trounced the Orillia Majors 13-0 on Tuesday, but had to settle for a 5-5 tie versus second-place Ivy Rangers on Friday. 

In the Brewers' 13-0 whitewashing of the Majors at J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park in Orillia, Bolton Head Coach Mike Wallace extolled the fine performance of Carson Burns on the bump: “Carson Burns pitched tremendous for us for five innings.” The Brewers' player coach also singled out excellent plate appearances by four of the hitters in his lineup.

“We also got great at-bats from Brett Chater, Daniel Accardo, Amin Jaurez, and Mike Wallace.” 

The Brewers scored in all five innings of the shortened game versus the Majors. The visitors led 5-0 after three innings, scored four more runs in the fourth, and plated five in the fifth to put the game away.

Brett Chater, Amin Juarez, John Hutchison, and Daniel Accardo collect two hits each to lead the Brewers' 11-hit attack. Chris Fafalios drew three of the seven walks that the Majors' pitching staff issued on their home diamond. Chater scored three runs while Juarez and Falafalios each crossed the plate twice. 

Burns collected the win in an abbreviated complete game performance. The Brewers' hurler gave up only two hits over his five innings of work and struck out eight Majors. 

In the Brewers' other road game—a Friday night showdown versus the second-place Ivy Rangers at Victoria Park – the Bolton squad held its collective breath as their ace Victor Moguel did not finish what he started.

Coach Wallace noted that “In our 5-5 tie against Ivy, Victor Moguel left early in the first inning with a sore elbow.”

“Cameron O'Neil did a great job in middle relief, allowing only 1 run over 3 innings pitched.”

The Rangers jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Moguel, the Brewers' top pitcher with a 4-0 record this year, exited the game after securing just one out. 

Bolton responded at the top of the third inning with three runs to take a 2-run lead—powered by Brayden Grech's three-run homer.

The home side responded by plating a run to narrow the margin to one, but the Brewers plated two more runs at the top of the fourth inning to take a 5-2 lead. However, Bolton's bullpen faltered and yielded two runs in the fifth and another run in the sixth as the Ivy Rangers tied the game 5-5.

Both teams put up zeroes in the seventh inning to maintain status quo in the NDBL standings. With the tie, the Brewers stayed one point ahead of their second-place rivals. 

Logan Hart led the Brewers with a pair of extra base hits—a triple and a double—versus the Rangers. Brayden Grech, Josh Hickey, Nathan Drury, Cameron O'Neil, and Hart each scored a run to pace the Bolton offence.

Alas, the Angels-Brewers tilt scheduled for Thursday night was both rained and hailed out at North Hill Park much to the chagrin of this sports reporter who was looking forward to Baseball Night in Bolton.  It has been rescheduled at the same venue for Thursday, July 27. First pitch between Barrie and Bolton will be 7:30.