NORWICH, CT --- Jordan Pearce hit a three-run homer in the third inning and the Connecticut Tigers held on for a 3-2 New York-Penn League victory over Vermont Friday night at Dodd Stadium, their second straight win in the series to move just 1/2 game behind the Lake Monsters for
NORWICH, CT --- Jordan Pearce hit a three-run homer in the third inning and the Connecticut Tigers held on for a 3-2 New York-Penn League victory over Vermont Friday night at Dodd Stadium, their second straight win in the series to move just 1/2 game behind the Lake Monsters for first-place in Stedler Division.
A Cole Peterson leadoff single in the third and Garrett McCain one-out single preceded Pearce's three-run homer to rightfield on a 1-0 pitch from Vermont starter Oscar Tovar. It was the second home run and eighth, ninth and 10th RBI's for Pearce in eight games since joining the Tigers July 20th.
Vermont got a run back in the fourth on a Logan Farrar double and Anthony Churlin RBI single to cut deficit to 3-1, but the Lake Monsters left the bases loaded on a strikeout to end the inning.
The Lake Monsters got another run in the fifth on three straight singles from Kevin Merrell (bunt), Ryan Gridley and Farrar (3-for-4), but Gridley was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch to end the inning and keep Vermont a run down.
Connecticut starter Ryan Castellanos (4-2) earned the victory with two runs allowed over 5 1/3 innings on eight hits, including a Churlin leadoff single in the sixth. After Castellanos retired Will Toffey on a flyball for the first out of the sixth, three Tiger relievers combined to toss 3 2/3 hitless innings of relief with two walks and four strikeouts to preserve the victory.
Will Vest got out of the sixth with a flyball and groundout, while Max Green issued a leadoff and one-out walk in the eighth, but Brandyn Sittinger struckout Javier Godard to end the eighth and retired Vermont 1-2-3 in the ninth for his second save. The Lake Monsters have now lost each of their last five games decided by one run.
Tovar (1-2) was charged with the three runs on the homer and six hits with three walks and three strikeouts over four innnings. Relievers Josh Reagan and Bryce Conley both tossed two scoreless innings, combining to retire 12 of 13 batters faced (including final 11) with one hit allowed and three strikeouts.
Vermont (20-17) will look to salvage one of the three games and hold on to its first-place Stedler lead when they wrap the series at Connecticut (18-16) on Saturday beginning at 7:05 pm. The Lake Monsters then play three-game series at Tri-City before returning to Centennial Field for three-game homestand vs. Connecticut August 2-4.
Paul Stanfield is the Media Relations Director for the Vermont Lake Monsters.
