RJ ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY 

By Ryan Eakin

MIDHURST, ON - Throwing a Madduk.

The Barrie Baycats defeated the Hamilton Cardinals 6-0 on Saturday evening to improve to 18-8 on the regular season.

With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 9-16.

Baycats starter Emilis Guerrero recorded the victory, tossing a complete game performance while giving up zero earned runs on three hits and two base on balls, while striking out six batters along the way.

Baycats first basemen Jordan Castaldo led the way at the plate, going four-for-four with one base on balls.

He hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning.

Cardinals starter Arman Lakhani took the loss, tossing five and two-thirds of an inning while giving up four earned runs on eleven hits and three base on balls, while striking out two batters along the way.

HAMILTON - 0-3-1

BARRIE - 6-14-0

BIGGEST PLAY OF THE GAME: Castaldo's solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third inning gave the Baycats a 3-0 lead.

It was his seventh home run of the season.

NICEST PLAY OF THE GAME: In the top of the fourth inning, Cardinals hitter Greg Arnold hit a base hit to right field.

Baycats right fielder Ryan Spataro caught the ball bare-handed before firing back into the infield, holding Arnold to just a single, and drawing an ovation from the Baycats crowd.

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE GAME: Baycats designated hitter Kyle DeGrace was ejected from the ball game in the bottom of the sixth inning for arguing home plate umpire Jamie Killingsworth strike three call.

BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THE GAME: After some early season struggles -- relatively speaking -- it looks as if Guerrero is back to being a front-of-the-line starter for the Baycats.

In his last fourteen innings pitched, he has struck out sixteen batters while allowing just eight base runners.

Zero earned runs.

POST-GAME QUOTES: "It is one game at a time," said Castaldo regarding the Baycats loaded schedule in the next fifteen games. "If we don't take it one game at a time, we are not going to be focused on that game and that would just be a determent to us, so we just gotta take it one game at a time when you are going through a stretch like this.

"He's amazing when he is out there," said Castaldo of Guerrero. "Tonight he attacked the zone. I think I heard he threw ninety-seven pitches, which is incredible. I don't care who you are pitching against, that is phenomenal. 

"He made it easy to play behind tonight. We have a lot of guys who are like that, so we are lucky."

"Atkinson is the MVP," DeGrace chimed in.

The Baycats return to action tomorrow afternoon against the London Majors from Coates Stadium in Midhurst.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 pm.