The BlueClaws and Fireflies split a double-header on Monday. ---
The BlueClaws and Fireflies split a double-header on Monday.
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LAKEWOOD, NJ - Nick Fanti gave up one run in five innings and Trevor Bettencourt got the last six outs for the save as Lakewood won the second game of their Monday double-header 2-1 over Columbia. The teams split the pair after the Fireflies won the first game 6-1.
Lakewood (21-16) has now won 11 of their last 15 games and improved to 4-3 against Columbia (19-17).
Fanti (3-0), who got 26 of 27 outs in a combined no-hitter against the Fireflies last Saturday, scattered four hits over five innings. Bettencourt, who got the last out of the no-hitter, got six outs today for his team-leading fourth save.
After Columbia got a first-inning run in game two, the BlueClaws jumped ahead with two in the bottom of the first. Carlos Duran singled in Daniel Brito, who had doubled on the first pitch of the game. Two batters later, Henri Lartigue reached on a fielder's choice to score Duran with the go-ahead run. Neither team would score again.
Jordan Humphreys (6-1) retired the last 14 hitters he faced but took his first loss of the season.
Columbia won game one 6-1. The Fireflies got two runs in the first inning. Michael Paez's RBI single and Dash Winningham's RBI groundout quickly gave Columbia 2-0 lead on Felix Paulino and the BlueClaws.
Lakewood got their first run in the bottom of the second inning when Cord Sandberg grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with runners at first and third.
Columbia opened things up in the fourth with four runs off Paulino. Ricardo Cespedes hit a two-run single for a 4-1 lead and Jay Jab followed with a two-run home run for a 6-1 lead.
Harol Gonzalez (2-2) went all seven innings to earn his second win of the season. Paulino (1-3) came out after the home run and gave up six runs, five earned, over 3.1 innings of work.
The teams finish their series on Tuesday night at 6:35 pm. LHP JoJo Romero (2-1) starts for Lakewood against RHP Gabriel Llanes (1-2).
- BlueClaws -
