Royals Can't Snap Skid in Tough Loss to Red Sox
GUELPH - Slump continues.
The Brantford Red Sox stunned the Guelph Royals 4-2 on Tuesday evening to improve to 1-5 on the season.
With the loss, the Royals drop to 1-5.
Brantford starter Jeremias Sucre picked up the win, tossing five shutout innings on five hits and two walks, while striking out two Guelph batters.
Red Sox outfielder Christan Kuzemka impressed in his Red Sox debut -- 24 hours after being traded from the Barrie Baycats -- going three-for-five.
Guelph starter Jared Kennedy took the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits and three walks in three innings pitched.
BRANTFORD - 4-8-1
GUELPH - 2-11-0
BIGGEST PLAY OF THE GAME: Tied in the top of the first inning, Kuzemka hit a two-run RBI double to give the visiting Red Sox a 2-0 lead.
BY THE NUMBERS...
3. Corey Morro got on base three times for the Royals out of the nine-hole, as he raised his average to .364.
5. Five strikeouts in two innings of work for Nelson Mercardo in his best outing of the young season.
INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM...
Royals manager Dino Roumel on the team's slump: "We [the team] just had a conversation and I let them know that this is not going to get off the rails for us. We hit the ball hard and I thought we played a better game today. We only made one miscue and gave up five hits. We are supposed to win with the kind of pitching we had. We left guys on base too and that has just been the story of our year so far. We just have to believe in ourselves and turn it around. Last year we started 1-3, so no one is pushing the panic button here. We just need to play better."
Roumel on the younger Morro's start to his IBL career: "He's fearless. He's always had to overcome people making remarks about his size, yet he plays like a six-foot-four guy. He's not scared, he's got great balance, he hits everything on the screws, and he almost hit one out of the park today. We are fortunate to have him."
Roumel on the bullpen of Mercardo, Ben Reid, and Brandon Deans, all of whom were great out of the bullpen: "That is what we expect from them. Brandon is coming off a great college season and Nelson I think is an underrated guy who throws 91 miles an hour. I thought outside of the one rough inning where we allowed three runs that our pitching staff did a great job. Even Reid was outstanding -- his velocity was up there. So there's a lot of positives but we aren't looking for moral victories. We got one this year, so we have to figure out how to get more."
LOOKING AHEAD...
The Royals trek up to Barrie on Thursday before returning home on Saturday to face the very same Baycats.
The first pitch on Saturday is 1 pm.