Brian Backland Photography 

By Ryan Eakin

MIDHURST, ON - Two to go.

The Barrie Baycats defeated the Kitchener Panthers 4-2 on Saturday evening to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven league championship series against the Panthers.

Baycats reliever Adam Hawes recorded the victory, tossing two and one-third of an inning while giving up zero earned runs on one hit and two base on balls, while striking out zero batters along the way.

Baycats designated hitter Tim Smith led the way at the plate, going two-for-four.

Panthers reliever Matt Vickers took the loss, tossing one and two-thirds of an inning while giving up two earned runs on three hits and zero base on balls, while striking out three batters along the way.

KITCHENER - 2-8-1

BARRIE - 4-7-1

Game four goes tomorrow night in Kitchener.

POST GAME QUOTES...

"Get a damn hit, I haven't got one all finals," said Baycats catcher Kyle DeGrace on his mindset heading into his at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.

He would single to score Baycats shortstop Starlin Rodriguez from second base to give the Baycats a 4-3 lead.

"I'm surprised we are struggling as much as we are offensively," said DeGrace. "Not to take anything away from them because they have really good pitching, but we haven't got a rhythm going offensively. I don't think we have had one big inning, which is kind of unlike us. But we are grinding man. We got some grind. This series is nowhere near over."

"We got our ace on the mound," DeGrace said of game four tomorrow night. "We need him to come out and dominate, and we need to start hitting."

"I was comfortable the whole game," Baycats starter Santos Arias said through translator and third basemen Branfy Infante. "I felt good all day today, throwing the ball around and everything."

"I have pitched in big games like this before," said Arias. "The pressure, I could feel it a little, but having pitched in big games like this before, I was focused."