London Majors win IBL championship in dramatic fashion
The London Majors are Intercounty Baseball League champions for a second consecutive season. Photo: London Majors/Twitter
September 22, 2022
Official Intercounty Baseball League News Release
TORONTO – The London Majors are once again Dominico Cup champions.
All it took was an improbable comeback to win the franchise’s second straight Intercounty Baseball League title and eighth overall.
Trailing 7-3 entering the top of the ninth inning of Game 6 Thursday night at Christie Pits, London reeled off five runs to stun Toronto 8-7.
London, which entered the playoffs as the top seed, went 10-3 in the postseason, eliminating Brantford and Hamilton before running into Toronto in the final for a second straight season.
Byron Reichstein went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run that made it 7-5 two batters into the ninth. After London followed with two singles, two walks and two wild pitches to tie the game, Taylor Wright’s sacrifice fly scored Gibson Krzeminski for the winning run.
Starling Joseph scored twice and drove in a pair on three hits, including his fifth home run of the playoffs, while Wright added a solo home run.
Bo Lewington (1-0) earned the win, walking one and striking out three over two hitless innings of relief. Starter Jose Arias lasted six innings and allowed five earned runs on five hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.
Fernando Fernandez threw a scoreless last inning for his second save of the series. He was then named playoff MVP after registering a 1.30 earned-run average in 20 2/3 innings. Fernandez went 1-0 and struck out 18 while walking seven.
Marcus Knecht led the Leafs with a home run and three RBIs. Justin Marra homered and drove in two while scoring three times and Jose Vinicio singled and scored.
Franklin Hernandez (0-1) gave up a run on one hit over an inning for the loss. He walked one and struck out two. Toronto starter Angel Castro struck out 13 over eight-plus innings, but he was charged with seven runs on nine hits with a walk.