LONDON – A short-handed Exeter Express squad was bounced from the Southwest Senior Baseball League playoffs Monday night with a 10-1 loss to the Lakeside Lizards.

Nine Express players showed up for the game according to manager Doug Fairbairn, who has often said his team can compete with anyone in the league when it's at full-strength but struggles when it's not.

Still, the Express challenged Lakeside in the best-of-five series, winning the first and fourth games before losing Monday's Game 5.

Exeter took Game 1 by a score of 5-2 Aug. 6, then lost 5-0 in Game 2 last Friday night.

A double-header was held Sunday in Exeter to decide Games 3 and 4, and both games ended with scores of 8-6. The Express lost Game 3 but won Game 4 to force  a fifth and deciding game.

Fairbairn said the Express may play a couple of exhibition games with the London Bulls in the weeks ahead, before his team enters an Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) tournament on Labour Day weekend.