Baycats bounce back, take Game 3 from Cardinals

HAMILTON – The Barrie Baycats didn't come to Bernie Arbour Stadium to get swept. Barrie pounded out 16 hits and took advantage of three Hamilton errors to cruise to a 13-6 win over the Cardinals in Game 3 of their best-of-seven semifinal series on Sunday afternoon. Hamilton still leads the series 2-1. Tyler Duncan opened the scoring for the Cardinals in the first, singling home Darlin German. But that was about the only lead Hamilton would enjoy. The Baycats answered with three in the third on a two-run single from Brandon Hernandez and a ground-rule double play from Francisco Hernandez that scored Noel McGarry Doyle. Then the wheels came off in the fifth. The Baycats sent 10 men to the plate, scoring six runs on five hits and two costly Cardinals errors. McGarry Doyle, Brandon Hernandez, Nolan Machibroda, Wandy Ciprian and Adam Odd all drove in runs as Barrie turned a 3-1 deficit into a 9-2 cushion. Owen Boon, who came in with a 2.86 ERA and a 7-1 record, took the loss after surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and two walks over four innings. The Baycats chipped away all afternoon, adding two more in the sixth and two more in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Frank Garces earned the win for Barrie, working six solid innings and allowing just two runs on six hits. Hamilton made things interesting in the ninth with a four-run rally off Carlos Sano — highlighted by a two-run single from Duncan and an RBI single from German — but Jaden Brown struck out to end it. Duncan finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs for the Cardinals. Carlos Dominguez added two hits and two RBIs, while German drove in one and scored one. McGarry Doyle led the Baycats with three hits, three runs scored and three RBIs. Ciprian went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, and Brandon Hernandez drove in four. The series now shifts to Barrie for Game 4 on Wednesday. Game 5 will be back at Bernie Arbour Stadium on Friday night.