Sanford knocks in three to lead Titans to win
Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.), centre, high fives his Ottawa Titans’ teammates after his team’s 7-3 win over the Quebec Capitales on Wednesday. Sanford went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the contest. Photo: Ottawa Titans
July 30, 2025
Official Ottawa Titans News Release
Québec City, Que. - The Ottawa Titans bounced back in a big way, beating the Québec Capitales by a 7-3 final on Wednesday - setting up the rubber game.
Once again, the Titans got off to a quick start in the opening inning against Braeden Alleman - putting two aboard. With Jackie Urbaez standing 90 feet away with two out, Justin Fogel smoked an RBI double to right-centre to open the scoring. Next, Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) ripped an RBI single up the middle to score Fogel, making it 2-0.
Grant Larson saw the Capitales get on the board courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Jarrod Belbin in the bottom of the first. The sac fly plated a leadoff infield single by Jesmuel Valentin.
With Alleman shutting down the Titans' offence - the Capitales used the momentum to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, with Belbin sending a solo shot to centre.
In a new game, the Titans put two on against Alleman in the sixth. Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Jackie Urbaez and AJ Wright into scoring position. Making a pitching change, Ryo Kohigashi struck out Justin Fogel for the second out. Sanford came up in a big spot, ripping a go-ahead two-run double off the right-centre wall to put the Titans ahead for good.
Up by two, the Titans answered for more in the seventh - with AJ Wright bringing in one with an RBI double off right-hander Kevin Rodriguez. Cerny added another with an RBI triple to right to make it 6-2.
Aaron Casillas brought home another in the eighth with an RBI single to left, making it 7-2.
Larson exited with two aboard and two away in the bottom of the eighth, as right-hander Shane Gray entered and fanned Kyle Crowl to get out of the inning.
The lefty gave the Titans 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits, walking one, and striking out two. With his eighth quality start of the year, Larson has now allowed just one earned run over 15 2/3 innings with two victories against the Capitales this season.
Marc-Antoine Lebreux (Montreal, Que.) homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth - but Gray finished the job by limiting the damage to preserve the win.
Sanford went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs in the win. Jackie Urbaez reached four times on hit by pitches, setting a new career high with 35 and counting this season. Justin Fogel picked up two hits, including a double and an RBI, while AJ Wright doubled and walked twice.
The Titans continue a six-game Canadian road trip with the finale of a three-game series against the Capitales on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. at Stade Canac in Québec City, Québec.