Jackfish surge early, Panthers' comeback comes too late
The Welland Jackfish opened the game with a fast start and carried that momentum through the middle innings to defeat the visiting Kitchener Panthers on Thursday in the teams' final meeting of the 2026 regular season.
Welland struck first, plating two runs in the opening frame and then breaking the game open with a five-run second inning punctuated by a three-run home run from Ethan Mann. By the end of the second the Jackfish led 7-1, and they maintained control from there despite a Kitchener push later in the contest.
- Early offence: Welland scored seven through two innings.
- Starting pitching: Pedro De Los Santos went seven strong innings for Welland, recording three strikeouts while allowing five hits and three earned runs.
- Late push: Kitchener chipped away in the ninth but could not overcome Welland's lead.
The Panthers did answer at times. Trent Lawson connected for a home run in the bottom of the second to get Kitchener on the board, and the visitors manufactured runs in the middle innings when the Jackfish issued consecutive walks to open the fifth and Kitchener strung together two singles to plate two more.
Welland restored separation with additional runs in the sixth and seventh, described in game reports as "insurance" to protect the early margin. De Los Santos finished his outing after seven innings, credited with keeping the Panthers at bay while the offence continued to supply run support.
"Ending with one win and five losses in their season series against the Jackfish,"
That summary — drawn from the season series results — underscores Kitchener's struggles against Welland across the year. The July 27 meeting between the clubs had been a one-run game, but the rest of the series swung heavily in the Jackfish's favour, leaving the Panthers with one win and five losses against Welland in 2026.
Late fireworks insufficient for Panthers
Kitchener mounted a late threat in the ninth inning. Yosuke Fujie blasted a home run to bring in two runs, and Mateo Zeppieri homered for the second time in the game — continuing a torrid stretch that saw him hit home runs in each of his last three appearances, and four homers over his last three games overall. Those back-to-back long balls in the ninth trimmed the deficit, but the rally ran out of innings.
| Key performance | Notes |
|---|---|
| Pedro De Los Santos (Welland) | 7 IP, 3 K, 5 H, 3 ER |
| Mateo Zeppieri (Kitchener) | Homered twice in the game; fourth homer across last three games |
The loss leaves Kitchener preparing for the final stretch of its regular season, while Welland closes the season series with the upper hand. For Welland fans, the game offered both reassurance and areas to watch: timely power and a lengthening outing from De Los Santos bolstered the pitching staff, but the Jackfish will want to limit the long-ball threat they allowed late in the game.
For Panthers supporters the story is familiar — a late rally that falls short. The Panthers head into their final five regular-season games seeking to halt the skid against a Jackfish club that found ways to manufacture runs early and protect narrow leads.
Local baseball followers can expect both clubs to press into the final week of the schedule, with attention on bullpen depth, matchups against left- and right-handed pitching, and the continued hot streaks from hitters such as Zeppieri.
