Two-hit games from Cardoso, Cerny, Sanford help Titans to victory

Catcher Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) had two hits for the Ottawa Titans in their 5-2 win over the Brockton Rox on Friday. Photo: Ottawa Titans (file photo)

August 22, 2025

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - Returning home following a fantastic road trip, the Ottawa Titans continued their winning ways in a 5-2 victory over the Brockton Rox on Friday - winning their sixth in a row and continuing to hold the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Conference.

The Rox struck first in the series opener - seeing Austin White lead off the game with a single to centre. Following a failed pick off by left-hander Kelb Hill, White stood 90 feet away with nobody out after a two-base E1. Evan Giordano knocked in the opening run of the series with an RBI ground out to second. After the single, Hill sat down the next 10 in a row.

Silenced through two by rookie left-hander Omar Melendez, the Titans got on the board in the third inning. Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) opened up the frame with an infield hit before stealing second for the first swiped bag of his career. With two outs and Cerny at third, the Rox intentionally walked Jackie Urbaez to put runners on the corners. Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) stepped up and leveled the score at one with a rocket of a double to the right field wall.

In the fourth, North Vancouver, B.C. native Taylor Wright's leadoff single stood at second following a stolen base with two outs - setting the table for an RBI knock to left from Cerny to make it 2-1.

With a pair of singles in scoring position with two outs in the top of the fifth, White's soft comebacker to the mound was misplayed by Hill, leading to JR DiSarcina crossing the plate to tie the game at two on the error.

Facing Melendez in the bottom of the sixth, Taylor Wright legged out an infield single, setting the stage for Damone Hale to crush his first homer of the year out to left to put the Titans ahead for good at 4-2.

Before the sixth inning was over, Abbotsford, B.C. native Kaiden Cardoso's single found its way home to make it 5-2 on a throwing error by former Titan Jamey Smart.

After the three-run sixth by the offence, Hill took the mound for the seventh, allowing a pair of hits.

Inheriting runners on the corners, Jon Beymer fanned Giordano to end the threat and keep Hill in line for the win.

The southpaw gave the Titans 6 2/3 innings, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits, walking one, and striking out three. Hill earned his second quality start of the season and has now won two out of his last three starts.

Shane Gray got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, giving the Titans two scoreless innings out of the bullpen to preserve the win.

Sanford, Cardoso, and Cerny each recorded multi-hit performances in the win.

The team has now won six in a row for the second time this season and nine of their last 10 overall. Over a 53-game stretch since June 20, the Titans remain a Frontier League best 37-16.

With the New York Boulders' win over the Down East Bird Dawgs, the Titans continue to sit alone in the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Conference, a game-and-a-half up on the Boulders with eight games to go.

The Titans continue a three-game series against the Rox on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. at Ottawa Stadium.