The Red Sox started the season's 2nd half off in the same fashion as they began the first half - with a W! Milton matched their win total from the 2024 season with a tightly-contested, slightly serendipitous 7-6 victory in their first game against COBA newcomers, the Waterloo Tigers. 

After Waterloo went up 1-0 in the first, the Sox stakes themselves to a 3-1 lead after RBI singles by first baseman Liam Buckley, and designated hitter Oliver Reyes, with left fielder Brayden Krolikowski getting in on the action with a run-scoring sacrifice fly to round out the inning.

Milton continued to roll in their half of the 2nd inning by way of a Buckley sacrifice fly, Josh Maxwell's bases-loaded walk, and Reyes cashing in another with a sac-fly of his own to up the Sox lead to 6-1. 

Waterloo would not go quietly though, tagging starter Kyle Clark for 3 runs in the 4th to cut the lead in half. The inning progressively got worse, when Clark walked the first two Tigers' hitters and had trouble finding the strike zone. Nate Hamel was summoned from the bullpen and miraculously got the Sox out of the inning, allowing no further damage.

As the Milton offence went silent, Waterloo would continue to pressure at the plate in the top of the 6th, when a bases-loaded fielder's choice, and consecutive singles would tie the game 6-6. 

With the game slipping away, the feeling was tenuous in the Sox dugout and lineup changes were forthcoming in an attempt to shake up the offence. The moves paid immediate dividends. After Buckley beat out a close play at first base, 3-hole hitter LIam Butchereit walked to put two on with no out. Pinch-hitter, Idrees Mohammed hit a high infield chopper that the Waterloo shortstop made a fine defensive play to stab the grounder and initiate a contested double-play when Mohammed was called out at first on a play that he seemingly beat out. With hopes for taking the lead dwindling, pinch-hitter Medrik Dube then cleanly singled through the left side of the infield to give Milton the lead they would not relinquish.

Birthday boy Hamel would close the door on the remaining three innings to preserve the Milton win and give himself a much-deserved birthday present and his team-leading 4th win. Hamel; who came on in relief, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs (all earned) while striking out three and walking one batter. Clark opened the game for the Sox, surrendering 3 hits, 3 runs (all earned) striking out none and walking seven in his 3 1/3 innings of work.

The Sox piled up 9 hits in the game, with Ben Singh, Buckley, and Christian D'Cruz each collecting two hits. Reyes and Buckley each had 2 RBI, and the Sox turned one double play in the game. Currently, the Sox sit atop their divsion and move to 8-5 on the COBA season. The two teams will battle in a return match in Waterloo on Sunday evening at Lexington Park. Game time 6:00 pm.