Jackfish reel in Royals with ninth-inning fish frenzy

The Welland Jackfish saved their biggest splash for last Tuesday night, exploding for three runs in the ninth inning to turn a tied game into a 7-4 victory over the Guelph Royals.

Locked in a 4-4 battle heading into the final frame, the Jackfish bats came alive when it mattered most. Justin Gideon delivered the knockout punch with a clutch go-ahead RBI single, Ethan Mann raced home on a passed ball to double the lead, and Brendan Luther added the exclamation mark with a sacrifice fly as the Fish swam away with another win.

Mann continued his hot streak, going 2-for-4 with a towering solo home run, two stolen bases, and plenty of chaos on the basepaths. Robert Mullen also launched a solo blast, while James Smibert quietly stuffed the stat sheet with two hits and two runs scored. Gideon finished the night 3-for-5 with two RBIs, earning plenty of high-fins in the clubhouse.

While the offense made the headlines late, Erik Johnson slammed the door for four outstanding innings out of the bullpen. The right-hander punched out six Royals without allowing a run to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Then came the ninth inning... and when things got interesting, Deivy Mendez said, "Not today."

After allowing a hit and a walk, Mendez struck out the side to leave the tying runs stranded and lock down his fifth save of the season.

The Royals did their damage in the fourth inning with two-run doubles from Victor Mascai and Miguel Hiraldo, but after that, the Jackfish pitching staff tightened the nets and never let Guelph back in.

With the victory, the Jackfish improve to 17-9 and continue to keep the pressure on atop the IBL standings.

Next stop: The Pond, where the Fish will look to keep the good times—and the wins—flowing. After all, around here, the ninth inning is just another chance to make some waves.