Red Sox sweep Panthers to earn spot in IBL semifinal against Majors

By Darryl G. Smart

The Brantford Red Sox are heating up at the right time.

Adam Jafine threw an absolute gem of a complete game to lead the Sox to a 4-2 win over the Panthers Saturday night at Arnold Anderson Stadium. The victory gives the Sox a 2-0 sweep in their best-of-three IBL quarter-final series.

Jafine went the distance, striking out 16 Panthers batters, giving up only two runs on four hits.

Offensively, the Sox struck early, when Nock Burdett sacrificed himself to drive in Jon Dziomba, while Jason Pineda did the same to score Gianfranco Morello giving them a two-run cushion.

The Panthers got those two runs back in the fourth inning, when Andy Leader and Elliott Curtis scored off of a broken play after Jafine struck Ryley Davenport out.

Zach Lampreia’s single in the bottom of the sixth inning was the difference maker, when he knocked in Jacob Reid, before Lampreia scored off of another sacrifice, this time by Liam Sutherland, to give the Sox all the insurance they needed.

Now the Red Sox will face the league’s top team, London Majors, in a best-of-three IBL semifinal series. Game 1 is at Labatt Park in London Friday at 7:35pm, with Game 2 at Arnold Anderson Stadium Saturday at 7:30pm. Game 3, if necessary, is back in London on Sunday at 7:35pm.