WELLAND – Welland became the first team to advance to the second round of playoffs following a pair of wins Saturday over Brantford.

Game 1 of the best-of-five series, which was suspended Thursday, resumed Saturday with the top-seeded Jackfish rolling to a 12-4 victory. James Smibert went 3-for-5 with five RBI, while Matteo Porcellato drove in three and scored three times. Caleb Feuerstake went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Hogan Brown had two hits and scored, Ethan Hunt went 2-for-4 with two runs, Steven Moretto singled twice, doubled and scored three times, and Tyler Dupuis drove in a run.

Ben Abram earned the win on the mound, giving up four runs on nine hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

Christian Kuzemka drove in three for the Red Sox. Matthew Fabian went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run, and Nick Burdett, Cris Ruiz and Gus Wilson had two hits apiece.

Danny Howat took the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings. He walked one and struck out one.

In Game 3, Brown drove in two on three hits atop the lineup as Welland won 15-3. Carlos Martinez, Smibert and Sam Cawker all drove in two, Dupuis had three hits, two runs and an RBI, Feuerstake drove in a run and scored twice, while Hunt and Porcellato both picked up an RBI.

Alberto Guerrero stuck out five over six innings for the win. He yielded three runs on six hits with four walks.

Jeremias Sucre suffered the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits over three innings. He struck out one.

Burdett drove in two on a bases-loaded single and Kuzemka had a pair of hits.

Baycats one win from advancing

BARRIE – The Barrie Baycats scored eight runs in the seventh inning to beat the Hamilton Cardinals, 12-6, Saturday night at Vintage Throne Stadium.

Barrie leads the best-of-five quarter-final 2-1.

Ryan Rijo and Kyle Maves each had two hits and two RBI in the win. Canice Ejoh went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, Adam Odd drove in a run on two hits, Carson Burns went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs, Avery Tuck picked up a pair of hits and Hayden Jaco drove in a run.

Jeifry Nunez went seven innings for the win, giving up five runs on 10 hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

For Hamilton, regular season IBL home run champ Tyler Duncan went deep for the first time in the playoffs and drove in two. Brandon Nicholson went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, Quin Cotton drove in a run, and Dennis Dei Baning and Laine Renaud each had two hits.

Alex Lanigan took the loss, giving up seven runs (four earned) on five hits and a walk in one-third of an inning. Cards’ starter Brett Lawson went six innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He struck out seven.

Leafs edge Royals in extras

GUELPH – Garrett Takamatsu’s two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning was the difference in Toronto’s 5-3 win Saturday over Guelph in Game 2 of the IBL quarter-final.

Toronto leads the series 1-0. Game 1, which was suspended Thursday, will resume Sunday at Christie Pits, followed by Game 3.

Jose Vinicio went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run in the win, and Yoichi Ishihara drove in a run and scored.

Dustin Richardson struck out three of the five batters he faced in relief for the victory. Leafs’ starter Jesse Hodges went 5.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits with three walks and five punchouts.

Malik Collymore, Darius Barlas and Justin Interisano drove in the Royals’ runs. J.D. Williams had two hits and a run, and Conner Morro went 3-for-5.

Yuki Narita took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits over 3.2 innings. He walked one and fanned seven. Hector Yan started and went 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with six walks and 16 strikeouts.

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