TRENTON, NJ - A five-run first lifted the Trenton Thunder (25-14) to an 11-5 win over the Bowie Baysox (18-21) in Thursday's series opener at ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton.
TRENTON, NJ - A five-run first lifted the Trenton Thunder (25-14) to an 11-5 win over the Bowie Baysox (18-21) in Thursday's series opener at ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton.
In the afore-mentioned five-run first for Trenton, a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases before Abiatal Avelino drove in a pair with a two-run double and Gosuke Katoh came through two batters later with a two-run single.
The Baysox cut the lead to 5-1 with a run in the second as Aderlin Rodriguez reached on a fielder's choice, went to second on a single, took third on a fielder's choice and scored on Erick Salcedo's sac fly.
Ben Ruta's sac fly in the home half of the second stretched Trenton's lead to 6-1.
Bowie starter Jayson Aquino (1-2) gave up six runs on six hits to go along with four walks and two strikeouts in two innings of work.
Corban Joseph led off the top of the third with a double and scored three batters later on Austin Hays' two-out RBI single to bring the Baysox within 6-2.
Trenton starter Ryan Bollinger (3-0) allowed the two runs on six hits while walking one and fanning three in 6.0 IP.
Bollinger had not allowed a run in his first 14.0 IP with the Thunder prior to tonight.
Katoh struck again with an RBI double in the fifth and Bruce Caldwell followed with an RBI single to make it an 8-2 game in favor of the Thunder. Both runs were charged to Baysox RHP Tanner Chleborad (2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K).
Ryan Mountcastle knocked in a run via an RBI groundout in the seventh to cut the Trenton lead to 8-3.
Avelino's three-run blast off of RHP Michael Kelly (2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) in the home half of the eighth made it an 11-3 game in favor of the hosts.
The Baysox got a pair back in the top of the ninth as a single and a double put two men on before Joseph delivered a sac fly and Anthony Santander plated a run via an RBI groundout.
Four different players had multi-hit games for Bowie: Anderson Feliz (2-4, SB), Hays (2-4, RBI), Joseph (2-3, 2B, RBI, R) and Cedric Mullins (2-5, 2B, 2 R), while LHP Luis Ysla (1.2 IP, 2 H, 4 K) had a scoreless outing in relief.
The series continues on Friday at 7:00 p.m. as RHP Lucas Long (0-4, 5.64) gets the start for the Baysox against Thunder RHP Brian Keller (3-2, 4.16).
