Brantford Red Sox started their 2024 Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) season on a losing note, falling to the London Majors on Opening Day, Sunday, May 19, 2024.
Brantford was originally scheduled to start their season against the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers on Friday, May 17 but the game was postponed after a one hour and 45-minute delay.
Red Sox SP Josh Laukkanen got the start for the home team and came up firing, getting a ground ball out to start the game. After giving up a single, the Sox turned a double play for a quick top of the first. Brantford also had a quick first inning but did get a single off the bat of SS Gus Wilson.
Laukkanen and Majors SP Travis Keys were locked in a pitching duel over the next three innings as neither pitcher allowed multiple hits over that period.
The Majors got on the board in the top of the fifth after 2B Kaiden Cardoso took Laukkanen deep to centre field for a solo home run but that was all they would get as the Sox starter recorded three straight outs. Laukkanen had a solid first outing, going 5 IP, allowing one earned run while striking out one and walking one batter.
The Majors got to the Sox bullpen and RP Sam Worthen in the top of the eighth inning, capitalizing on a single, walk, and hit batter. Majors C Eduardo de Oleo ripped a bases-clearing double to the fence, scoring three runs as the Majors opened up a 5-0 lead.
Brantford had trouble mounting any offence as Keys pitched a gem, only allowing three hits over eight innings but did get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth, capitalizing on consecutive singles to start the inning, a walk and a hit batter to score one but couldn’t muster any more offence with the bases loaded and no one out as they fell 5-1 to the Majors.
