Seven-Run Ninth Inning Falls Short in 10-9 Loss

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Trailing 10-2 in the top of the ninth, the Connecticut Tigers (11-13) rallied for seven runs and placed the go-ahead run on base before the Vermont Lake Monsters (12-12) escaped with a 10-9 victory to avoid a sweep and snap a four-game Tigers win streak on Monday at Centennial Field.

The Tigers sent 12 batters to the plate against three different Vermont relievers who nearly blew an eight-run lead in the ninth. Dayton Dugas drew a bases-loaded walk, first baseman Nick Ames scored in his Connecticut Tigers debut on an Alexis Garcia RBI single, Ulrich Bojarski tallied a sacrifice-fly RBI, Isrrael De La Cruz and Luke Sherley each singled in a run, and Sam McMillan floated a two-out, RBI single to make it 10-9. Slater Lee (Save, 1) finally ended the mayhem by recording the final out on an Ames flyout to right field.

Right-handed Tigers starter Gio Arriera (Loss, 1-2) gave up a two-run homer to Anthony Churlin in the first inning and left with two outs in the second after allowing an RBI single and a pair of sacrifice fly RBIs. In his previous start on July 4, Arriera struck out a career-best 12 batters in 7 innings against the Lowell Spinners. On Monday, the 2017 Detroit Tigers fourth-round draft pick recorded no strikeouts with five earned runs on five hits by the Lake Monsters.

Bojarski clubbed his first home run in 12 games with the Connecticut Tigers on a no-doubter over the fence in left field that scored Garcia during the third inning. With a 5-2 lead, Vermont starter Adam Reuss (Win, 1-1) proceeded to retire the next 11 Tigers in a row. 

Vermont scored five runs in the fifth to take a 10-2 lead. Aaron Arruda took credit for the eventual game-clinching RBI on a line-drive single to center against Dylan Stock, who gave up five runs with only two of them earned. Tigers relievers Victor Mueses, Ethan DeCaster, and Arvicent Perez combined for 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. 

Following a New York-Penn League off day on Tuesday, the Tigers return home to Dodd Stadium in Norwich for the first of three games against the Batavia Muckdogs on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Tigers righty and 2018 Detroit Tigers 25th-round draft pick Chance Kirby will make his first start in the New York-Penn League on Three-Plus-Me Night. All Wednesday home games this season will feature a special deal on sale at Dodd Stadium with four reserved tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas, and a bag of popcorn for just $40 (a value of $65.50).

The Connecticut Tigers are the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. Individual tickets for all 2018 home games, season memberships to "The Club," ticket mini-plans, and Tigers team merchandise are now on sale at Dodd Stadium, over the phone at 860-887-7962, and online at CTTigers.com.