The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t take very long to bounce back from having their seven-game winning streak snapped.
Toronto’s hot streak ended in the first game of a doubleheader at Labatt Park in London on Canada Day, as the host Majors beat them 6-4. But the Leafs immediately bounced back in the nightcap, crushing the Majors 13-3 to move into sole possession of second place in the Intercounty Baseball League, just one game behind the first place Barrie Baycats.
The Leafs improved to 18-9 with the split, with the impressive second game performance enough to give them something to show from a long afternoon.
“It’s tough to play two games on a holiday like this, but we came through it pretty good,” Leaf owner Jack Dominico said. “We’re in pretty good shape in the standings now and all of that offence in the second game really made it pretty easy.”
It was all Toronto in game two, as the Leafs scored five runs in the first inning en route to the easy victory with a 13-hit attack.
Jake Gallo got the win on the mound for the Leafs with five solid innings of work. He allowed three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk before Cody Powell finished up with two hitless innings of relief.
Dan Gibbons led the Leafs with three hits, including a homer, three runs scored and drove in another two runs, while Damon Topolie, Rob Gillis and Kyle Morton all drove in two runs. Gillis and Jordan Castaldo both had two hits and Kyle Degrace scored three runs and had another hit in the nightcap.
London starter Craig Bate was the loser. He lasted just the first inning, allowing five runs on four hits with three walks.
Will Watkins drove in two runs and Ryan Lapensee had two hits and scored a run for London in Game 2.
In the opener the Leafs took a 4-0 lead but three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings gave the Majors the 6-4 victory, snapping Toronto’s seven-game winning streak.
Cleveland Brownlee and Paul Young both had two hits and two RBI for the Majors, while Allan Cattrysse and Paul Lytywnec also had two hits and an RBI.
London starter Zachary Breault went four innings, allowing four runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk, but it was reliever Aaron Boag that got the win with three shutout innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk.
Toronto reliever Ryan Mashinter, the second of three Leaf pitchers, was the loser. He gave up three runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings in relief of starter Matt Walker, who allowed three runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking one.
Degrace had three hits, drove in a run and scored another in the opener for Toronto, while Topolie and Raul Borjas had the other Leaf RBI.
Leafs host the Guelph Royals Sunday at 2 p.m. at Dominico Field at Christie Pits.