Majors top Leafs to win first IBL title in 46 years
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Oct 01, 2021 • 10 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Cleveland Brownlee holds the IBL league championship trophy after the Majors defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 8-4 in London, Ont. winning their first championship in 46 years. Mike Hensen/Postmedia Network Article content By Gene Pereira
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Article contentThe Toronto Maple Leafs run at a first Intercounty Baseball League title since 2007 came up short in a fifth and deciding championship game Friday night at Labatt Park in London.
The Leafs jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, but Byron Reichstein belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning and the host Majors never looked back en route to an 8-4 win and their first league crown in 46 years.
The rally gave the pennant-winning Majors a 3-2 series win in the best-of-five final and ended the league’s longest championship drought.
London’s last IBL championship was back in 1975 when they defeated the Guelph Forums in six games.
Toronto was looking for its first title in 14 years when they beat the Barrie Baycats in seven games.
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Article contentReichstein, who was named the most valuable player in the IBL playoff, polished off a huge postseason performance with a home run and three RBI.
The London outfielder would belt five home runs, drive in nine runs and hit a scorching .448 over seven playoff games.
Owen Boon (2-1) got the win on the mound for London.
The hurler, with a bend, but don’t break performance, gave up 11 hits and walked none while giving up just three runs in six innings. He struck out five.
Eduardo Perez gave up just one run over three strong innings in relief of Boon, including a three-up and three-down ninth inning to nail down his first save and more importantly the championship series.
Marek Deska (3-1) was handed his first loss of the playoffs, giving up five runs on eights hits and a walk over six innings.
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Article contentDeska was cruising on the mound before running into trouble with two outs in the bottom of third inning.
Three straight singles by Austin Wilkie, Carlos Arteaga and Humberto Ruiz cut the Toronto lead to 3-1, before Reichstein drilled a three-run homer to put London on top for good.
It was the third homer in two nights for the Majors clean up hitter who went deep twice in Thursday’s Game 4 loss in Toronto.
The Leafs got to Boon early in this one. Jordan Castaldo, who finished the night 4-for-4, led off the game with a double to left and would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Solazzo.
They’d double the lead the next inning when Connor Lewis stole second and would come in to score on a Castaldo single to centre field.
Solazzo would make it 3-0 in the top of the third when his infield single brought home Sean Reilly.
But there would be no late-game rally like Thursday night’s for the Leafs.
Two runs in the bottom of the seventh and another in the bottom of the eighth sealed the deal for London.
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