Brewers launch four home runs to crush league-leading Knights 13-2

July 16, 2026 · 0 Comments

Brewers move into fourth place by edging Angels 2-1 in Barrie

By Jim Stewart

The Bolton Brewers set off a fireworks display from the batter’s box at New Lowell Recreation Park on Wednesday night.

Mike Wallace, Jack Larmer, Ben Sterritt, and Brett Chater belted one home run each in Bolton’s 13-2 romp over the league-leading Knights.

It was the Knights’ first loss of the season after stringing together thirteen consecutive victories.

What made the Brewers’ emphatic victory even more unlikely was the Knights’ dominant performance at the 59th annual Senior Division All-Star game at Mansfield Community Park on Sunday afternoon.

Returning to a format last used in 1986, the reigning champs took on a team of all-stars from the league’s other eleven teams—including Brewers Matteo Stothers and Logan Hart. New Lowell stomped the Senior Division All-Stars 8-2. The Knights belted five home runs against the all-star staff in an exhibition game in which they never trailed.

However, the veteran Brewers seemed undaunted by the Knights’ power show in Mansfield and showed off their own propensity towards the long ball in New Lowell on Wednesday night.

The Knights plated two at the bottom of the second to take an early lead, but the hard-hitting Brewers put up a five-spot in the fourth and eight more in the fifth to mercy the reigning champs.

Leading the 13-run onslaught was Brewers’ two-spot hitter Sterritt who went 4 for 4. The left-handed slugger delivered four RBI to pace Bolton’s offensive fireworks show. Lead-off hitter Chater, the reigning league MVP, matched his prodigious teammate with four RBI. Bolton’s Dynamic Duo, arguably the most dangerous 1-2 combo in the NDBL Senior loop, wreaked havoc atop the batting order.

Brewers’ starter Carson Burns delivered a quality start and reined in the league’s most dangerous lineup.

After giving up two early runs—neither of them earned–Burns recorded six strikeouts in his tidy mercy-shortened performance, yielding only two hits and walking two. It was the fifth quality start in a row by the Brewers’ pitching staff.

Significantly, the Brewers chased long-time nemesis Brandon Norrie in the fifth inning—belting three runs and banging out ten hits versus the ace of the 2025 League Champions.

In the decisive eight-run top of the fifth, the Brewers poured it on—scoring one off Norrie before impelling his departure, and then rocking relievers Chris Esson and Shane Duffett for four and three runs, respectively. Staked to an eleven-run lead, Burns shut down the Knights at the bottom of the fifth to ensure a quick five-inning victory by the visitors.

It was the Brewers’ best performance of the 2026 campaign and Head Coach Mike Wallace was thrilled about his team’s thirteen-hit attack against the division’s top-ranked team. Wallace’s two-run shot contributed mightily to the mid-week mayhem in New Lowell: “It’s been a struggle for me at the plate after tearing my bicep. It felt good to finally be able to hit and I’m just trying to help out the team. I got a good part of the bat on a fastball and it just made its way over the fence.”

The veteran Brewer player-coach offered insights into the team’s big night against Norrie: “He’s had a lot of success against us over the last two years, including the playoffs. This time, we got to him. We talked before the game and we didn’t want anyone to have to carry the weight alone into the game. We put out the best lineup in Brewers’ history.”

The Brewers continued their winning ways in Barrie on Friday night by edging the Angels 2-1 to sweep the season series versus the vastly-improved ballclub that features five players with NCAA experience.

Bolton ace Matteo Stothers threw a complete game five-hitter—striking out two and walking one. The deceptive starter—who pitches effectively to contact—yielded a run in the first inning to the Angels, but put zeroes on the board for the remaining six innings to earn the club’s tenth win of the season.

Coach Wallace praised Stothers’ complete game performance versus the Angels: “I can’t say enough about Matteo. Every time he takes the ball, he gives us a chance to win. It was fun to watch. He was really locating his curveball in the bottom of the zone. It was setting up his fastball.”

Angels’ starter Francisco Alejandro yielded both runs at the top of the fourth when Ben Sterritt and Justin Melanan scored for the Brewers. Melanan drove in Sterritt to tie the game. The three-spot hitter—just back from his honeymoon—crossed the plate on a wild pitch to secure the winning run for Bolton.

Wall-Banging Brewers

on late-season heater

Since June 22, Bolton has outscored its opponents 48-23—a six-game stretch which includes two wins over Barrie; wins over Mansfield, Creemore, and New Lowell; and a disappointing loss to Midland during which the Brewers coughed up a late three-run lead. In all, the Brewers have moved steadily up the NDBL Senior Division standings and sit in fourth place with a 10-7-1 record.