League-leading Bolton Brewers’ 6-game winning streak snapped in lopsided 17-6 loss to Ivy Rangers

By  Jim Stewart

The Bolton Brewers are having a fine North Dufferin Baseball League season. 

Coach Mike Wallace's potent squad continues to hold down first place in the NDBL's Senior Division with a stellar 17-4-0 record.

Their league-leading offense has scored 189 runs in 21 games.

The Brewers' 2024 campaign has featured a season-opening  six-game winning streak, a mid-season streak of four games, and the team's most recent late-season six-game heater.

The Brewers have dominated the division since the first pitch on May 9th when they drubbed the Orillia Majors 16-1 at North Hill Park. 

However, the Brewers suffered through their most lamentable inning on the season on Sunday night when they surrendered 15 runs in the second frame to impel the Ivy Rangers to a 17-6 win at Victoria Park.

With their home field victory, the fourth-place Rangers (13-8-2) ended the Brewers' latest six-game winning streak.

Despite the lop-sided loss, Bolton maintained its hold on first place because they beat three divisional rivals in a span of seven days.  

On July 11, the Brewers defeated the seventh-place Angels 5-3. Nick Fiorucci struck out four Angels in a complete game, seven-inning performance. Brewers' lead-off hitter Brett Chater scored two runs to lead Bolton to a season sweep of Barrie (8-13-1). 

On July 12, the Brewers prevailed 12-11 in a wild one versus Ivy as John Hutchison walked off the Rangers with a two-run single at the bottom of the seventh inning. Chater and Ben Sterritt provided power at the top of the Brewers' lineup to help subdue the Rangers.  Chater and Sterritt had four hits and three hits, respectively.  The potent 1-2 combo scored three runs each.

On July 18, Bolton defeated their archrivals, the New Lowell Knights, 4-3.

The win avenged a 5-0 Brewers' home loss earlier in the season.

Chris Fafalios, Cameron O'Neil, and Hutchinson paced Bolton's ten-hit attack with two hits each. Victor Moguel earned the win, striking out three Knights in five innings. Chater earned the save with two innings of hitless relief.

The first-place Brewers conclude their NBDL regular season with a perfectly-timed home-and-home series versus the second-place Owen Sound Baysox.

The pair of games will determine the 2024 pennant winner.

Bolton hosts Owen Sound on Thursday, July 25 at North Hill Park.

First pitch will be 8 p.m.

The Baysox will host the Brewers on Monday, July 29 at Tom Williams Baseball Field in Owen Sound.