Royals’ early power surge dooms Barnstormers at Rotary Park
The Chatham-Kent Barnstormers were handed a 14-4 defeat by the Guelph Royals on Friday at Fergie Jenkins Field at Rotary Park, the latest lopsided result in a season that continues to test the hometown club and its supporters.
The game was decided quickly. The Royals launched three home runs in the first inning, all off Chatham-Kent starter Mizuki Akatsuka, and the visitors never looked back. The early barrage produced a margin the Barnstormers could not erase despite late two-run homers by Lee Kucera and Owen Constantineau.
Akatsuka, now 1-5 on the season, was charged with nine runs over 3.1 innings and took the loss. Reliever Adam McKillican surrendered an additional four runs in relief.
- Final score: Guelph Royals 14, Chatham-Kent Barnstormers 4
- Barnstormers record: 10-29 (last place in the Canadian Baseball League)
- Notable offence: Two-run homers by Lee Kucera and Owen Constantineau
For a team that has struggled to find consistency, early-inning collapses have been particularly costly. Friday’s game followed that pattern: the Royals’ first-inning power display created an uphill battle the Barnstormers’ offence could only partially respond to in the later frames.
Managerial staff and pitchers must now weigh adjustments as the schedule tightens. The club heads on the road to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday before returning to Rotary Park to host the Welland Jackfish on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Those two games provide immediate chances for the Barnstormers to halt a downturn and give local fans a reason to remain engaged.
| Pitcher | Decision | Runs allowed | Innings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mizuki Akatsuka | Loss | 9 | 3.1 |
| Adam McKillican | Relief | 4 | (relief) |
Offensively, the Barnstormers showed flashes. Kucera and Constantineau delivered two-run homers to get Chatham on the board and briefly draw fans into the contest, but the timing did not allow for a sustained comeback. The Royals’ scoring outburst early in the game proved the decisive difference.
Attendance at Fergie Jenkins Field remains an important measure of the team’s connection to the Chatham-Kent community as the season moves forward. With the club mired near the bottom of the league standings, each home date becomes an opportunity both to evaluate younger players and to shore up community support in the face of difficult results.
Looking ahead, the Barnstormers will need sharper starting pitching and more consistent production from the lineup if they are to climb out of the league cellar. Local fans hoping for a turnaround will be watching closely this weekend, when the team plays back-to-back games that could set the tone for the next stretch of the schedule.
“We’ll take the lessons from tonight and focus on competing the next two days,” the team indicated in a brief release following the loss.
Tickets and game information for the Sunday matinee against the Welland Jackfish are available through the team’s usual channels. For Chatham residents who follow the Barnstormers, the immediate ask is simple: show up and support a club that is still searching for answers on the field.
