Late Surge Deflates Titans, Drop Series to Miners

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE

Ottawa, ON - Consecutive multi-run innings late in the game sunk the Ottawa Titans (8-17) in a 6-2 loss to the Sussex County Miners (19-7) on Saturday night, dropping their third in a row.

Jeremy Piatkiewicz struck with an RBI double in the bottom of the second inning against left-hander Rob Hensey (win, 3-1) to give the Titans an early lead, scoring the first extra-base hit in the professional career of rookie Kaiden Cardoso.

Shane Gray (ND, 1-2) let the slim lead stand up for the opening four innings, as the right-hander had seen just five base runners get on over that span.

The Miners responded in the fifth with two runs on three hits to take the lead. Hunter D'Amato tied the game with a bloop single to left-centre and later scored the go-ahead run on a Mahki Backstrom double to left-centre.

Gray would exit after five and two-thirds of two-run ball. In a solid bounce-back outing, the righty allowed seven hits, walked two, and fanned three in what became a no-decision.

Newcomer Tim Holyk tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a bang, sending a Hensey offering onto Coventry Road for his first pro hit and home run. Holyk, from Nanaimo, British Columbia, signed earlier in the day after starting the season with the Brantford Red Sox of the Intercounty Baseball League.

The powerful Miners did not let the momentum shift phase them, as a two-run go-ahead double from Gabriel Maciel in the seventh off Brett Garcia (loss, 2-2) gave the Miners the lead back for good.

In the eighth, the visitors put two in scoring position against Kaleb Hill, as a ground ball from Hunter D'Amato found its way to AJ Wright. Throwing home with Gionti Turner headed for the plate, the throw hit the runner and ended up at the backstop - leading to two runs to make it 6-2.

Out of the bullpen for the Miners, JC Ariza, Tyler Luneke, and Matt Stil combined to sit down five on strikes in three scoreless innings.

AJ Wright went 2-for-4 in the loss, while Jeremy Piatkiewicz went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI before leaving the game. Kaiden Cardoso also had a solid night at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double and two walks.

The Ottawa Titans will attempt to avoid the sweep when they finish a three-game series against the Sussex County Miners on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Ottawa Stadium on Cappy's Birthday, and post-game kids under 12 run the bases, sponsored by Lois N Frima's Ice Cream. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and live-streamed on Frontier League TV, powered by HomeTeam Network.

For information on Ottawa Titans’ 2025 Season Tickets, Group Outings, and Nine-Game Mini Packs, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.