EL1 Trenton Thunder

Wild Finish Preserves 3-2 Win

Published on May 10, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Trenton Thunder News Release


TRENTON, NJ - Sometimes it takes luck, and a fortuitous bounce ended the game and helped the Thunder hang-on for dear life in a 3-2 win Friday night at ARM & HAMMER Park.

In the most exciting ending of the season for the Thunder, 5,937 fans witnessed the final out of the ballgame being recorded at home plate on a wild pitch to secure the win.

Trenton entered the 9th inning with a 3-0 lead, but with one out shortstop Reegie Corona booted a groundball and threw erratically to first base for an error to let the Fisher Cats slip back into the ballgame. Four of the next five batters reached (three walks and a single) to make it 3-2 Thunder with two outs and the bases full of Fisher Cats.

Branden Pinder began the inning, and with two outs Aaron Dott had to come in to finish out the game. He walked the first batter he faced to set up the bases-loaded, two out, 3-2 situation. With the league's leading hit-man Kevin Pillar at the plate, Dott bounced a curveball to the backstop. The ball ricocheted so cleanly back to catcher Nick McCoy that he was able to field the bounce, turn and flip to Aaron Dott who covered home in to tag out Adam Loewen trying to score and tie the game.

Trenton starting pitcher Mikey O'Brien made his first start of the season for the Thunder and tossed six shutout innings. O'Brien, who appeared in 20 games (19 starts) for the Thunder a year ago, made six starts in High-A Tampa before Friday's five-strikeout, four-hit performance.

Leading 1-0 in the top of the 7th inning, newly added reliever Fred Lewis allowed a leadoff double and a wild pitch to put New Hampshire's Ryan Schimpf- the potential tying run- at third base with no outs. The next batter, Kevin Nolan, lofted a fly ball to right field that Tyler Austin settled under and caught. He then uncorked a throw to the plate to gun down Schimpf for the second out of the inning, and preserved a 1-0 lead.

The Thunder and New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue their four-game series Saturday at 7:05 p.m. The game features LHP Matt Tracy (3-2, 8.31) making his first start of the season for Trenton against RHP Chad Jenkins (0-0, 3.60) for the Fisher Cats. Limited tickets are available through the Thunder box office at (609) 394-3300 or online at www.trentonthunder.com/tickets. Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 6:45 p.m.

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Eastern League Stories from May 10, 2013


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