Fat Cats avoid 3-0 deficit with big win over Guelph

The Ottawa Fat Cats are preparing for their IBL final-round series aainst the Brantford Red Sox Friday, Aug. 26, 2011.

The Ottawa Fat Cats held serve against the Guelph Royals with a robust 8-1 home win Friday night.

Matt Hummel pitched eight innings to earn the win that brought their first-round playoff series to 2-1 in favour of Guelph.

Ottawa’s balanced attack (seven of their nine position players batted in a run) began in the second inning, when LaDale Hayes grounded out to short but allowed Brandon Huffman to score.

The eventual game-winner came from the next at-bat, as right fielder Joe Stone singled in Matt McGovern to make the score 2-0.

It would stay that way until the fifth, when a pair of errors allowed Ottawa to put up three more runs.

Guelph’s Mark Allen slammed in their only run of the game with one out in the top of the sixth inning, but Hummel only allowed one more baserunner the rest of his start.

The Fat Cats added two runs in the bottom of the seventh and one more in the eighth to take Game 3.

Hummel’s final line was five hits and four walks, striking out five and giving up the one earned run. Josh Soffer struck out two while pitching the ninth.

Guelph starter David Hatt gave up seven hits and four earned runs in six innings, striking out one and walking three.

Game 4 is Saturday at 7 p.m. in Ottawa.