Late Lead Evaporates, Titans Fall in Extras

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE

Troy, NY - The Ottawa Titans (50-38) allowed two in the ninth, then the winning run in extras to fall 3-2 to the Tri-City ValleyCats (49-38) on Saturday night, evening up the series at a game a piece.

In a pitcher's duel, Shane Gray (ND, 6-5) gave the Titans six scoreless innings - while his counterpart, right-hander Easton Klein (ND, 6-3) allowed one run over six and a third.

The scoreless tie was broken in the fifth - as Christian Ibarra belted his fourth homer of the campaign to put the Titans up 1-0. It was the first homer for the veteran infielder since June 12.

As for Gray, the right-hander dominated - tossing his fourth scoreless start of the season. The right-hander left in line for the win after his ninth quality start of the season, allowing just five hits, walking one, and striking out six.

Jake Dixon tossed an inning and two-thirds out of the bullpen - before Matt Dallas fanned the lone batter he faced - sending a 1-0 Titans lead to the ninth.

Facing Zeke Wood (win, 5-1) - the Titans got a leadoff single from Peyton Isaacson, in which snapped a 0-for-20 streak. After giving way to Jake Hjelle as the pinch runner, the rookie advanced to second on a wild pitch before stealing third. With Aaron Casillas pinch-hitting - the fellow rookie made it 2-0 with a single the opposite way to right.

Entering the bottom of the ninth - Erasmo Piñales (loss, 2-3) walked the leadoff man - before giving up a game-tying two-run homer off the bat of Dylan Broderick to see the score pull level at two.

The two-run homer allowed snapped a 29 consecutive scoreless inning streak for the Titans' pitching staff, as they came two outs shy of a third-straight blanking.

In extras, the Titans failed to score the start-up runner - as the ValleyCats loaded the bases off of an intentional walk and a free pass with one away. Facing the power-hitting threat of Oscar Campos, Piñales bounced an 0-1 offering to the screen, plating the winning run.

The Titans' lead for second in the division goes back down to a half-game - as they fall for the fourth time this season when leading after eight innings of play.

With some help on the out-of-town scoreboard, the magic number for the Titans to qualify for the 2024 Frontier League Playoffs is down to four.

The Ottawa Titans finish up their final set away from the capital, with the finale of a three-game series against the Tri-City ValleyCats on Sunday night at 5:00 p.m. from Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, New York. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and 94,5 Unique FM and live-streamed on Flo Baseball.

For information on tickets, group outings, and the "All-In" Playoff Package, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.