WIth the COBA Major season winding down and teams posturing for playoff positions, the Milton Red Sox improved their chances for a division title, albeit a longshot. The Sox swept both games of a weekend home-and-home series with the Waterloo Tigers to creep to 1.5 games behind the Burlington Brants for the division lead. The Brants - at 13 wins, 9 losses - would have to gain only a tie in one of their last two regular season games to seal the crown. Ironically, Milton and Burlington will tangle on Wednesday evening at Nelson Park in a potential winner-take-all scenario.

 

Back to the weekend and the suddenly woke Milton offence. Saturday's tilt featured two team still jockeying for playoff position on a warm afternoon at Glenn Turner Field as Waterloo arrived for some late season, day baseball.

 

As they have almost automatically as of late; the Sox got off to a quick start plating three runs in the first inning, courtesy of catcher Jakob Siracusa's RBI triple, and followed by right fielder Josh Maxwell's single through the left side ofthe infield to score his catcher. Eric Beharri would cash Maxwell with an opposite field single of his own to give the home side the early 3-0 advantage.

 

After Waterloo cut the lead to 3-2 in their half of the 4th, Milton would answer right back, scoring 5 runs on six hits in their half of the 4th inning. Christian D'Cruz singled scoring one, while Siracusa also singled scoring two more. First baseman Chris Smorenburg's two RBI single would cap the inning and extend the Sox lead to 8-2. 

 

The Tigers relentless offence continued to battle, getting another two runs across in the 7th to half the Milton lead to 8-4. However, the Red Sox offence would again respond with a pair of their own in their 7th as it would be Siracusa wielding the big stick as he had all day, earning 2 additional RBI with his 3rd hit of the afternoon - to go with his 4th & 5th RBIs - as Chris Bloom and Ben Singh both trotted home to make it 10-4.

 

Reliever Ryan Carey would come on to hold the fort down for starter Nate Hamel. The rookie pitcher gave up a solo home run and an RBI double, but it was too little too late for the visitors. Final: Milton 10, Waterloo 6.

 

Hamel; in earning his league-leading 6th win; scattered 9 hits and 4 runs (4 ER) over 7 tough innings. The veteran righthander struck out 3 and issued two free passes, working in and out while keeping the Tigers offence relegated.

 

Milton amassed 15 hits on the day. D'Cruz and Siracusa were a force together in the batting order, as they each collected three hits. Bloom, Singh, and Brayden Krolikowski each had multi-hit days for the Sox, while the offence as a whole piled up 9 walks. Smorenburg, Beharri, and Singh getting two apiece. The only downside of the afternoon was the 5 Milton errors which, strangely did not factor into any unearned runs on the day for Sox pitching.

 

On to Sunday ...

 

The always entertaining trip to Waterloo wouldn't be complete without a game at the Tigers' suedo-home, Lexington Park. The two teams honoured the spacious yard with their own version of "Sunday Night Football", as they combined for 40 hits, and 41 runs, with the Sox winning the slugfest 23-18 as darkness fell upon the field at dusk.

 

Liam Butchereit drove in 7 runs on five hits - 4 doubles, 1 triple (11 total bases) and got he ball rolling with his first two-bagger of the night in the first inning to get the offence jump-started again early. Josh Maxwell singled, scoring 1 run, a Waterloo error plated two more, Adrian Cooskon doubled home another, and Butchereit would punctuate the inning with his second double of the inning, to put the Sox ahead 13-0 before the Tigers took a swing in the game.

 

The Red Sox added to their lead in the 2nd when Luke Crowley doubled to centrefield, Butchereit tripled, and Maxwell singled down the leftfield line to increase the lead to 16-0.

 

But ... as per the early, hot Milton offence goes, as does the shrinking lead, Waterloo would score 5 runs on six hits in the 3rd to gain some life. Milton added some much needed scoring in the 4th, scoring 4 more times on another Butchereit double, Maxwell's single - his 5th RBI of the night, to go with Cookson's 2nd double of the game to make it 20-6 Milton.

 

But, but ... this being COBA Senior - where no lead is safe. Waterloo being the new kids on the block have learned quickly never stop swinging. The Tigers popped a 3-spot in their 4th to cut it to 20-9.

 

Picking it up in the 6th with Milton now leading 21-9, Waterloo got to rookie call-up Sam Savard and tagged the lefthander for 6 runs (5 ER) to shrink the previously insurmountable lead to 21-15. The Sox would add two additional runs on Butchereit's 4th double to seemingly put the game out of reach at 23-15, however, the Tigers refused to lay down and continued to threaten in every inning, evenutally getting to reliever Kyle Clark for 3 more runs (1 ER) to get as close as they would end up at 23-18. Final.

 

Savard earned the win in his Sox debut, pitching 2 innings of relief, allowing 5 hits, 6 runs (5 ER), striking out 4, and walking two. The 20 year old showed promise and some nasty stuff despite getting hit soundly by a good hitting senior club.

 

Chris Cloes started for Milton, going 4 innings (102 pitches), giving up 13 hits, 9 runs (9 ER), striking out 6, and walking two. Clark mopped up after Savard with two innings of his own, allowing 4 hits, 3 runs (1 ER), and he did not strike out, or walk anyone. Rough night for the ERAs all around!

 

With the win, the Red Sox earn their 12th victory of the season (8 wins in 2024) and the fact they ensured themselves at least a .500 campaign. As noted, the team will close out the regular season in Burlington on Wednesday night at Nelson Park. Game time 7:30 pm.