Titans sign Williams, suffer tough loss to Miners
The Ottawa Titans announced they had signed slugger Malik Williams (Toronto, Ont.) prior to their game on Friday. Williams batted .362 in 58 games for the Lipscomb Bisons this season. Photo: Lipscomb Athletics
August 5, 2022
Official Ottawa Titans News Release
Ottawa, Ont. – Starting up an important stretch, the Ottawa Titans suffered a tough 2-0 loss to the Sussex County Miners on Friday night.
Zac Westcott and John Baker strung together quality starts in the series opener, in a battle for second place in the East Division.
Following a scoreless first, Jackie Urbaez and Rodrigo Orozco singled off Baker. With two on and no one out, Baker settled in recording a pair of outs, before Urbaez was caught stealing to end the threat.
Westcott would only allow five base runners over the next four innings, keeping the game scoreless.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Titans’ bats fell quiet following a Tyrus Greene single in the second. Baker would go on to retire 13 of the next 14 he’d face, only walking to Jacob Talamante in the sixth over that stretch.
Oraj Anu broke the scoreless tie with a two-out solo homer off Westcott to deep right, making it 1-0 Miners. Following a lead-off single to Nilo Rijo in the seventh, Westcott would set down the next three, keeping it a one-run game.
The Titans got a lead-off single from Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) in the bottom half of the seventh, but a pair of strikeouts and a second caught stealing on the night ended the threat, and any sort of momentum.
Following an E5 put Jawuan Harris in scoring position in the eighth, Juan Silverio’s RBI single added some much-needed insurance.
Westcott’s night would come to an end with a quality start by going 7 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits, walking one, and striking out six.
Matt Valin and Nelson Gonzalez would keep the deficit at two heading to the late innings.
Baker would retire the Titans in order in the ninth for the complete game shutout, pulling the Miners into a tie for second in the East Division. The right-hander’s second complete game saw Baker allow four hits, one walk, while also adding 13 strikeouts.
Urbaez’s lead-off single in the first extended his on-base streak to 26 games, while Greene’s knock accounted for a hit in eight straight.
In other news, the Titans have traded outfielder Matt Feinstein to the Joliet Slammers in exchange for a player to be named later. As a corresponding move, the club has signed Toronto native Malik Williams, who spent the 2022 collegiate season at Lipscomb University. Following the NCAA campaign, Williams suited up for the Barrie Baycats of the Intercounty Baseball League.
The Ottawa Titans are back in action Saturday evening to face the Sussex County Miners at 6:00 p.m. at Ottawa Stadium.