Home cooking seemed to buoy the Brewers after a long and arduous 2-3 road trip. Playing in Chatham for only the second time this season on Friday, Maple City opened the scoring in the first inning with a pair of runs and coasted to a 4-1 victory over the Windsor Titans.

Saturday came with an unexpected day off as the Leamington Barons forfeited due to a lack of players, giving the Brewers, what turned out to be, some much needed rest. Sunday was a wild affair as the Brewers played host to the Forest Dragons in the first of a two team double header. Maple City pounded out 12 hits, including 5 doubles, for a comfortable 12-2 walk off, six inning mercy rule win.

The second game of the double header pitted the weakest team in the Essex League (Amherstburg Junior Cardinals) against your Maple City Brewers. In a game that was void of pitching, the teams combined for 27 hits and 26 runs as Maple City came back from an early four run deficit to win 16-10 on a humid afternoon in Chatham.

Friday night saw Jason Shaw win his second game of the season against Windsor. A few weeks after Shaw threw a two hit shut out against them, he was just as effective on this night giving up just one run en route to his fifth win of the season.

On Sunday the Brewers were (again) handcuffed by a lack of depth, coming into the double header with only ten players. Ace of the staff, Dave Carey, was his usual self against Forest, limiting the Dragons to two earned runs on five hits in a complete game victory.

The Brewers got on the board in the bottom of the first courtesy of a Joey Hewak (SS) RBI double, plating Carey who was aboard via a hit by pitch. Hewak would finish the day 3-3 with 3 runs scored, 3 RBI and a walk.

Forest would take the lead 2-1 in the top of the third, but Maple City would reply in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of their own. Carey, Hewak, and Ryan Cattrysse (RF) would hit back to back to back doubles, followed by a Mike Verfaillie (C) single to give the Brewers a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish.

The Brewers would plate four runs in the next inning capped by another Cattrysse double that plated two runs. He would also finish the day with 3 RBI.

Maple City closed out the day in the sixth when, with the bases loaded, two outs, and a 10-2 lead, Jarrod Lucier (1B) hit a looping liner into shallow left field to give the Brewers a 12-2 walk off mercy win. Game 1 box score available.

The second game of the day started with a controversial double for Amherstburg that appeared to land over the fence in right center. However, the hit was ruled a double and the runner eventually scored in the inning.

The Brewers answered right back with two runs in the bottom half of the first but starter Matt Rylett couldn't hold the Cardinals down in the second. He left the game with one out in the second trailing 6-2. Dave Smith took over on the mound for the Brewers and despite no warmups pitched reasonably well, giving up three earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The lead didn't last long for the Cardinals, however, as Maple City jumped all over their starting pitcher with four runs in the second inning. Dave Carey continued his torrid day at the plate mashing a double to the fence, then Joel Smith (2B) hit a towering fly ball that hit 3/4 of the way up the fence in right center for an RBI double. Dave Smith followed with a single, stolen base, and Ryan Cattrysse (CF) came up with a clutch 2 run single plating both Smiths.

Scoring went back and forth for a few more innings until the bottom of the sixth. Maple City had closed the defiicit to 10-9 and had loaded the bases with one out and chased the shell-shocked Amherstburg starter from the game. The reliever walked in the tying run, then Dave Carey came to the plate, swingin arguably the hottest bat on the team. Carey sent the second pitch he saw over the right centre fence and into the soccer field, on what was a no-doubt opposite field rocket, giving Maple City a 14-10 lead.

Two more runs would come across in the inning on a two run single by Hewak, his second and third RBI of the game. Carey finished the game with 5 RBI. Every Brewer with an at-bat reached base at least twice in a game that lasted almost three hours. Joey Hewak came on in the fifth inning for the Brewers and dominated the Cardinals, allowing only one base runner and picking up the win. Full box score available.

Maple City visits Corunna on Thursday night in Courtright, and Amherstburg comes to town on Friday night. First pitch is 7 pm at Fergie Jenkins Field.