Greg Mercer, Record staff

KITCHENER — Dylan Brooks was putting the Jack Couch Park crowd to sleep until the seventh inning Thursday night, when the Kitchener Panthers finally woke them up.

The London Majors’ tall, lanky starter had kept their Intercounty Baseball League rivals off the board all night long, putting Kitchener into a 6-0 hole.

The Panthers’ eventually broke through when Tanner Nivins — just emerging this week from a five-game hitless streak — blasted a long double to the centrefield fence, then scampered to third on an error by catcher Michael Ambrose.

Mike Gordner drew a walk, Brian Burton slapped a single and Keegan Marsden blasted a home run, cutting the London lead to two runs and chasing Brooks from the game.

The rally continued in the eighth, when former Philadelphia Phillies prospect Kelvin Pichardo gave up a walk to Colin Gordner then a sharp single to Nivins. He advanced both runners on a wild pitch, then served up a sacrifice fly to Mike Gordner.

Nivins tied it up 6-6 when he came home on another wild pitch from Pichardo.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kitchener’s Andy Leader won it with his legs. He beat a close throw to first base, sprinting all the way, then stole second and scored on an error by the second baseman, making it 7-6 — and giving the Panthers their third win in a row.

The Panthers stormed the field and mobbed the young outfielder, as London’s players hung their heads and walked toward their waiting bus.

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