Majors end drought with first IBL title since 1975

Photo by Matt Hiscox

LONDON – The drought is over.

After 46 years, the London Majors are once again Intercounty Baseball League champions.

Playoff MVP Byron Reichstein’s three-run blast – his fifth longball of the postseason – capped a four-run third inning and put the top-seeded Majors ahead for good after spotting Toronto a 3-0 lead. London, playing in front of a home crowd at Labatt Park, took the best-of-five Dominico Cup final in five games and won its first championship since 1975 when it beat the Guelph Forums.

Humberto Ruiz and Hayden Jaco each had two hits and drove in a run for London, Austin Wilkie singled twice and scored, Keith Kandel singled, doubled and plated a pair of runs, and Cleveland Brownlee and Nick Carrell each drove in a run.

Owen Boon (2-1) earned the win after striking out five over six innings. He allowed three runs on 11 hits and didn’t walk a batter.

Jordan Castaldo went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run for the Leafs, who finished second in the regular season and were looking for their first title since 2007. Johnathan Solazzo drove in two, Dan Marra and Connor Lewis each had two hits and scored, Sean Reilly went 3-for-5 with a run, and Justin Marra added an RBI.

Marek Deska (3-1) gave up five runs on eight hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out three.