AirHogs Rally Again for 4-3 Win over Tornadoes

June 27, 2012 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release


For the third consecutive day the Tornadoes and AirHogs played out a similar script to begin the scoring. Grand Prairie took a 2-0 lead for the third straight day and Worcester stormed back to snag the lead, this time at 3-2. But the AirHogs stunned the Tornadoes in the ninth with consecutive doubles to tie the game and a Zane Chavez single past a drawn infield for the game-winner, as Grand Prairie took down the Tornadoes 4-3 Wednesday afternoon at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.

Chavez, the former Pittsfield Colonial, finished with two singles, a run and the game-winning RBI in the ninth to help give the AirHogs the series victory (2-1). Yasutsugu Nishimoto added a two-RBI single for his first and only hit of the series and Greg Porter and Trent Lockwood both chipped in with a double and a run scored.

Brendon Kelliher had the big hit for the Tornadoes, with a two-run double to tie the game in the seventh, his lone hit of the day. Cameron Monger added an RBI and a hit and Alex Trezza finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The two-run AirHogs rally in the ninth inning ruined another strong outing from Ryan Bicondoa. The veteran righty took the loss allowing four runs on six hits and four walks. Bicondoa had allows just four hits and two runs through eight innings, but gave up back-to-back doubles to begin the ninth, to end his outing after 114 pitches.

Lefty Ronnie Morales came on in relief for the third straight game and earned the victory, pitching a scoreless eight with a single strikeout. Closer Justin Dowdy earned his second save in as many saves with another 1-2-3 ninth inning against the Tornadoes.

Grand Prairie jumped out to a 2-0 victory in the top of the third when the first three batters reached base. David Thomas walked to leadoff the inning and moved all the way over to third on a Chavez single. After a wild pitch moved Chavez up to second, Nishimoto grounded a ball up the middle just past Bicondoa to plate both runners.

The Tornadoes struggled to get anything going against Lance Day for the first six innings, as the rookie starter allowed just three hits and no runs through the first six frames. Worcester would finally put something together in the seventh inning.

Worcester put the first two runners aboard after Alex Trezza singled to left-center and Nick Salotti crushed a ball to the wall in right-center to put runners on second and third. After a pitching change, Brendon Kelliher hit the first pitch from Griffin Bailey to the wall in left-center for a two-run RBI double to even the score. Tony Patane sacrificed Kelliher over to third base and Cameron Monger gave the Tornadoes their first and only lead of the day with a bloop single just in front of the right fielder.

Things would go smoothly for the Tornadoes in the eight, but Bicondoa couldn't get the final three outs. Greg Porter led off the ninth inning with a double to center and scored when Trent Lockwood followed with a double of his own to end Bicondoa's night. With the score tied 3-3 and a runner on third, Chavez hit a hard smash off of Matt McDonald that bounced just out of the reach of first baseman Alex Nunez and into the outfield past the drawn-in Tornadoes infield.

The hit proved to be the game-winner, as Dowdy had little trouble with the Tornadoes hitters in the ninth for the second straight night.

Worcester will have their first off-day since June 6 Thursday as they travel to Laredo, Texas to begin a three-game set against the Laredo Lemurs of the American Association. Dan Sausville will take the mound Friday night when the Tornadoes and Lemurs play at 7:30 p.m.



Canadian American League Stories from June 27, 2012


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