Gameday in 5
A look to the week ahead — and a recap of the week that was (June 15-21) — for London’s teams and athletes.
A 1-0 win over new rival Electric City FC improved FC London’s first-place record to 10-1-1. (Photo: League1 Ontario).
* * *
The Majors had three games over the weekend — and another on Tuesday (a makeup game vs. Hamilton. When the dust settled, they’d won three of four, including a sweep of their home-and-home series with the Guelph Royals.
Things got off to a good start, as London claimed a 6-2 win over Guelph Friday. Jose Arias once again delivered a masterpiece on the mound. He improved to 4-0 with a league-leading 0.47 ERA after going 7 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts. His two runs allowed (on five hits) were both unearned, giving him four straight starts without allowing an earned run. Taylor Wright (3-for-4) drove in the first two runs of the game, while Cleveland Brownlee (2-for-4) made it 6-0 in the 7th with a solo home run.
Saturday’s game in Guelph was a lot closer, but the Majors came away with a 7-6 extra-inning win over the Royals. Down 4-0 in the 5th, Phil Whelan got the Majors on the board driving in the first of 3 runs in the inning. After Cleveland Brownlee brought the team to within a run, Robert Mullen tied the game at 5 in the seventh inning, and the teams eventually went to extras. After both teams scored single runs in the 10th, London added one in the 11th on a wild pitch and reliever Jaryd Lund shut the door on the Royals for the two-game sweep.
The Majors found themselves on the losing side Sunday for the team’s 11th annual ‘Pack the Park’ Father’s Day event. The Barrie Baycats had their bats going in an eventual 14-8 win at Labatt Park. Down 6-1 in the bottom of the 5th, Robert Mullen’s 3-run homer brought the team within two runs. In the 6th, the Majors actually took the lead when Phil Whelan knocked in two with a double. But Barrie responded immediately, plating five runs in the 7th to re-take the momentum in their eventual win.
In a rare Tuesday night contest, the Majors improved to 10-4 on the season with a 14-6 win over the visiting Hamilton Cardinals. Trailing 6-0 early, London put up five runs in the 3rd and enjoyed a 7-run inning in the 5th to put the game out of reach. Mullen went 3-for-5 with his 6th home run of the season, while Austin Wilkie was 3-for-5 with a homer himself. Starling Joseph also homered, while Brownlee extended his hit streak to 14 games to start the year.
Up next:
The Majors (10-4), who sit in second place in the Intercounty Baseball League through action Tuesday (2 games behind Welland), have another three-game slate on the schedule this weekend — including hosting the top squad at home Friday.
Fri. June 24 (7:35pm vs. Welland Jackfish)
Sat. June 25 (4:00pm @ Barrie Baycats)
Sun. June 26 (2:05pm @ Hamilton Cardinals)
Women’s team:
The Women improved to 10-1-1 with a win in Peterborough Saturday. In a matchup against their former assistant coach, and a few former teammates (including talented striker Kayla McQueen), FC London came out on top. Captain Julia Benati scored the game’s lone goal in the 84th minute to earn her side the win. Benati’s eight goals are tops on the team, while Jen Milligan’s six goals (in just seven games) are second-most. A trio of players (Nat Abbate, All Hicks and Sadie Waite) have four goals apiece.
Up next:
The women (10-1-1) have a challenging match Sunday when they hit the road to play Vaughan Azzurri (9-1-1), the third-place team in the standings.
Sun. June 26 (4:00pm @ Vaughan Azzurri)
Men’s team:
The Men’s team split their two games last week, securing their second win of the season on Wednesday and losing on Saturday. Playing Windsor TFC on the road Wednesday, FC London held on to win 2-1. Mike Sneddon got the team off to a fast start, putting the squad ahead 1-0 just two minutes into the game. Samuel Barrowcliffe doubled the lead in the 21st minute. Windsor responded shortly after, but neither team scored in the second half and London held on for the win.
On Saturday, the FC London men found themselves on the wrong side of a 2-0 decision against the first-place North Toronto Nitros at home. The teams played a close game in the first half with neither team scoring. Toronto turned it on in the second and scored twice to earn the win.
Up next:
The men (2-7-2) are back in action Sunday when they hit the road to take on second-place Vaughan Azzurri (7-0-3).
Sun. June 26 (8:30pm @ Vaughan Azzurri)
There are some familiar faces, but there’s a sense of renewal in London as the Lightning embark on a new season. With a new coach and several new players, is a new era upon us? What to expect in 2024-25 …