Hupe, Smibert Lead Jackfish to 14-4 Rout of Toronto

By ROD MAWHOOD

The Welland Jackfish made the most of a rescheduled date Wednesday night, erupting for 14 runs in a convincing 14-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Welland Stadium.

The defending champions broke the game open with a massive 10-run sixth inning, turning a close contest into a runaway and improving their record to 9-6 on the season.

Brandon Hupe paced the Jackfish offence with four hits and four RBI, while James Smibert also enjoyed a four-hit night as Welland's bats collected 18 hits in the victory. The Jackfish lineup received contributions throughout the order, repeatedly putting pressure on Toronto pitching and capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

"It was a great game for Hupe and Smibert. We're all really happy for them," said Welland manager Brian Essery.

On the mound, Ben Abram continued his outstanding start to the season, earning the win after allowing three runs over six innings while striking out four. Abram kept Toronto in check before handing the ball over to the bullpen as the Jackfish offence took over.

"We needed a big inning and a big win, and we got both tonight," added Essery.

Toronto starter Wilgenis Alvarado was tagged with the loss as the Maple Leafs fell to 3-9 on the campaign.

The victory gives Welland momentum heading into another home date as the Jackfish welcome the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers to Welland Stadium on Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available now at tickets.wellandjackfish.com.