Early Homer Not Enough, Titans Drop Opener to Boulders

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE

Pomona, NY - The Ottawa Titans (49-42) fell in the opener of their three-game series to the New York Boulders (48-42) by an 11-5 final on Tuesday.

Right out of the gate, with a runner on against rookie right-hander Aidan Risse (ND, 4-5), the Titans got in front with one swing of the bat from Jackie Urbaez. A two-run homer deep to right made it 2-0 on the ninth long ball of the season from Urbaez.

The Boulders answered right back in the home half of the first with a four-run frame against Alfredo Villa (loss, 10-3) to take the lead. Sending ten to the plate, Santino Rosso headlined the big inning with a two-run triple to centre. Alfredo Marte cashed in one with a single, while another plated on a double-steal, as the Boulders went up 4-2.

In the second, the Boulders added another on a Rosso groundout, scoring a leadoff Kyle Hess double to make it 5-2.

Following a clean third, Villa was removed from the game after just three innings. Suffering his first defeat since June 3rd, Villa allowed five runs on seven hits, walking two, hitting one, and striking out four.

With the Boulders in their bullpen in the early stages of the contest, the Titans threatened to make things close in the fourth and fifth. Jake Sanford's sac fly to centre plated one in the fourth before RBI singles from Victor Cerny and Taylor Wright in the fifth got the Titans within striking distance. Both rallies were cut short as the offence left the bases loaded in each frame.

Luke Powell saw the Boulders plate three runs with the benefit of two doubles in the bottom of the fourth, as the Titans saw themselves down 8-5 halfway through the game.

After the Boulders benefited from an error for a run against Lance Koch in the seventh, Zach Cameron allowed a pair in the eighth, seeing the home side put the game out of reach.

Santino Rosso was a force for the Boulders, posting a double, a triple, and six RBI in the opener.

Robert Chayka went 3-for-5 in the loss and now has posted six hits over his last three games. Victor Cerny also posted a multi-hit night, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The Titans continue to sit alone in the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Conference, 0.5 games up on the Boulders with five games to go. The Titans' magic number remains five to clinch a playoff spot.

The Ottawa Titans continue a three-game series against the New York Boulders on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. at Clover Stadium in Pomona, New York. The Titans will end the 2025 regular season over the weekend at home against the Tri-City ValleyCats. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and 94,5 Unique FM and live-streamed on Frontier League TV, powered by HomeTeam Network.

For information on Ottawa Titans’ 2025 Single-Game Tickets, Group Outings, and 2026 ticket packages, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.