Grills roughed up by ValleyCats in Titans' loss

Left-hander Evan Grills (Whitby, Ont.) was roughed up for seven runs in the Ottawa Titans’ 9-5 loss to the Tri-City ValleyCats on Thursday. Photo: Ottawa Titans (file photo).

July 10, 2025

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - Falling in an early 6-0 hole, the Ottawa Titans fought back to make it a one-run game but dropped the series finale by a 9-5 final to the Tri-City ValleyCats on Thursday, seeing the club’s five-game winning streak come to a close.

Making his first start in over three weeks, left-hander Evan Grills (Whitby, Ont.) was touched up in the top of the first, as the ValleyCats rallied for four two-out runs to jump in front 4-0. After loading the bases, Grills beaned Ian Walters to plate one - before Ranko Stefanovic scored two with a two-run single, and Demias Jimerson drove in one with a single of his own.

After retiring seven in a row, Grills surrendered three-straight hits to start the fourth - as the ValleyCats tacked on two more runs to extend the lead to 6-0.

Holding the Titans off the board through three - rookie right-hander Duke Brotherton allowed a leadoff double off the bat of Justin Fogel to open the fourth, as Fogel extended his hit streak to 10 in a row. Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) plated the leadoff extra base hit with an RBI ground out - as the Titans later loaded the bases with two outs. Inheriting the bases loaded, Dylan Morrill uncorked a wild pitch to score one - before Jackie Urbaez made it a 6-4 game with a two-run double. Urbaez has now driven in at least one run in four straight games.

Brotherton left after 3 2/3 innings - being charged with all four runs on six hits, walking one, and striking out one.

In the seventh, the Titans put two aboard against Austin Dill, as Sanford chopped a grounder to third. Ian Walters dove to keep the ball on the infield, throwing the ball away from first to lead to a run. Scoring five unanswered, the Titans were down 6-5.

Jimerson blasted his third homer of the year in the eighth to left to give the ValleyCats some insurance. Two of the three homers this year for Jimerson have come against the Titans.

Grills' night was completed after 7 1/3 innings - allowing a Frontier League career-high eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, walking three, hitting one, and striking out five. In all three games of the series, the Titans' starting pitchers went seven innings or more.

Brandon Marklund (North Vancouver, B.C.) recorded the final two outs in the eighth before Luke Powell allowed a two-out RBI single to centre off the bat of Ian Walters, making it 9-5 for the visitors. In his first outing in over a week, Powell fanned the side in his lone frame of work.

Liu Fuenmayor retired all six that he faced over two scoreless innings to help the ValleyCats avoid the series sweep.

Aaron Casillas had a single to push his on-base streak to 16 consecutive games. Jackie Urbaez, Nolan McCarthy, and all-star Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) each recorded two hits in the finale.

The Titans continue the final homestand of the first half with the opener of a three-game series against the Québec Capitales on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa Stadium.