Cerny, Holyk help Titans to doubleheader split

Catcher Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) had four hits for the Ottawa Titans in the first game of their doubleheader against the Brockton Sox on Wednesday. Photo: Ottawa Titans (file photo)

July 2, 2025

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Brockton, Mass. - The Ottawa Titans and the Brockton Rox split Wednesday's twin bill - with the Titans scoring a 12-7 win in the resumed opener, followed by the Rox scoring six unanswered in game two to walk it off 6-5.

Game One - Ottawa 12, Brockton 7

With each club leaving runners in scoring position over the first two innings, the Titans pounded with four runs in the top of the third frame against right-hander Santiago Ramirez to jump in front.

In total, the Titans sent nine to the dish against Ramirez - opening the scoring on a bases-loaded RBI single from Nolan McCarthy. Two batters later, with the bases still juiced, Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) extended the lead with a two-run hit. Next, Cole Harbour, N.S., native Jake Sanford's rocket on the ground snuck through the five-hole of second baseman Evan Giordano to plate a fourth run.

Alfredo Villa saw the lead evaporate in the bottom half, as the Rox sent nine of their own to the plate to tie the score. Derek Bender's double with two on got the Rox on the board - before back-to-back RBI singles from Tommy Kretzler and Zach Eldred pulled the game level. All four Rox runs in the third inning came with two outs.

Rox righty Ramirez was done after three - allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits - walking two, hitting two, and striking out five.

Slated to head out for the fourth, Villa's game ended after three - allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits - walking one, and striking out four

As the Titans made their way on to the field for the bottom of the fourth inning, the game was paused and placed into a suspended state by the umpires.

Following the resumption, the Titans' offence did big damage in the fifth inning against right-hander Thomas Nelson - putting up a five-spot to take the lead back. Cerny scored one with an RBI single, while a ground out from Aaron Casillas plated another. The headliner was Nanaimo, B.C. native Tim Holyk's three-run jack to straight-away centre to pull into a three-way tie for the team lead in homers.

The Rox attempted another comeback against left-hander Shane Telfer in the sixth - getting three runs on four hits. Keagan Calero and Derek Bender had RBI hits while Hemmanuel Rosario knocked in one on a groundout to make it 9-7.

In the ninth, Dylan Driver rocketed his first pro homer off Dylan Beeder, a three-run homer to left, to put the game out of reach.

After three innings from Telfer - the Titans got an inning and two-thirds from Billy Dube and then an inning and a third from left-hander Kaleb Hill to preserve the win.

Nolan McCarthy went 3-for-4 with two doubles, while Cerny went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a walk.

Game Two - Brockton 6, Ottawa 5

Looking for their fourth-straight series win and sixth win in a row overall, the Titans coughed up a 5-0 lead mid-way through the game.

Facing Heisell Baro, the Titans answered in the third inning with a pair of runs to go up 2-0. With two runners in scoring position, Jackie Urbaez rolled a grounder to break the tie before Aaron Casillas laced an RBI double to extend the lead.

In the third, the Titans answered with more. Sanford blasted his second homer of the year out to right to make it 4-0 before Bradlee Preap's second double of the game scored Dylan Driver's walk to make it 5-0. The RBI for Preap was the first in his professional career.

On the mound - the Titans got a scoreless inning to start from Dazon Cole and got back-to-back clean innings from Mac Lardner to keep the team in front.

The Rox started their comeback in the fourth on an infield RBI single from Evan Giordano to break the goose egg.

In the fifth, things unraveled for the Titans, as the Rox loaded the bases with one out to knock Lardner out of the game. Facing Brandon Marklund (North Vancouver, B.C.), the Rox scored all three runners on three consecutive hits against the Canadian righty to pull within a run.

After a three-up-three-down inning from Zach Cameron (Hamilton, Ont.) - the baton was handed to Erasmo Piñales, who came one strike shy of completing the save. The Rox tied the score on an RBI single to right from Derek Bender, plating the leadoff bunt hit from Austin White - who moved to second on a throwing error.

With the Titans not scoring in the top of the eighth, the Rox plated the winning run on a two-out single to right from Zach Eldred to even the series.

Bradlee Preap went 2-for-3 with two doubles while Aaron Casillas was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The Ottawa Titans end the three-game series against the Brockton Rox on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, Mass.