Brantford Red Sox kicked off their 2025 Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) season with a tough 6-5 loss to the London Majors on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Jeremias Sucre took to the bump for the Red Sox and had a rough start to the new season, allowing three hits as the Majors jumped out to the early 2-0 lead. The Sox had a quick bottom of the first as CF Ty Smith flied out to right, which was followed by a single from C Jeremie Veilleux but 3B Tim Holyk grounded into a double play.
London continued to get to Sucre in the top of the second, leading off with a double off the bat of RF Champ Garner. After Sucre recorded two quick outs, Majors CF Toby Simmons ripped a triple to the wall as the visitors opened up a 4-0 lead. Brantford got on the scoreboard in their half of the second, capitalizing on some Majors errors and some timely hitting. After a quick first out, 1B Christian Ortega walked, which was then followed up by a single from RF Matt Torresan. The Red Sox then took advantage of two errors, a passed ball, and two wild pitches and a single from 2B Lucas Bateman to score three unanswered runs and get back in the game, 4-3.
After combining for seven runs in the first two innings, the Majors and Sox settled down for the next four innings before the home team took their first lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brantford strung together three consecutive singles off the bats of Bateman, CF Ty Smith and Veilleux to tie things at four. The Red Sox took the lead after a double by 3B Tim Holyk drove in the go-ahead run, giving the home team a 5-4 lead.
With Red Sox RP Crawford Passy on the mound in the top of the eighth, London got a run back after taking advantage of two walks, two singles and a fielder’s choice to tie things at five. Brantford went down easily in the bottom half of the inning as the teams headed to the ninth tied at five.
The Majors regained the lead in the top of the ninth, capitalizing on a leadoff single and some solid baserunning to take a one-run lead. Brantford battled hard in the final half inning but couldn’t get the winning run as they opened their 2025 season with the 6-5 loss to the Majors.
The Red Sox had solid performances from Veilleux, who went 4 for 4 at the plate and recorded and RBI, and Bateman, who went 2 for 4 with a run and two RBI. Brantford’s next home game will be on Sunday, May 18 when the Guelph Royals come to town.
