Austin White Smashes Second Professional Home Run; Knockouts Spoil Boulders' Playoff Hopes

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 New England Knockouts

Austin White Smashes Second Professional Home Run; Knockouts Spoil Boulders' Playoff Hopes

August 31, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
New England Knockouts News Release


POMONA, NY- Jack-Thomas Wold went 3 for 5 with a pair of multi home runs to give New England a 9-3 victory over New York on Saturday night at Clover Stadium. The Knockouts uptick their record to 38-55, while the Boulders sink to 51-44.

Before the game, Knockouts skipper Jerod Edmondson discussed John Cristino's achievement of earning a spot on the 2024 All-Frontier League Team. "I am happy for John. He has done everything that we really asked for and hopefully he keeps it going here."

Cristino talked about his outstanding performance last night against the Boulders, where he hit multiple home runs in a single game. "I felt good in the box. I had my family here and that always helped me to stay comfortable. I'm sticking to my approach and hopefully good things come."

The starting pitcher for New England didn't factor into the decision. Sam Ryan delivered an impressive performance, pitching 6.1 innings. During this time, he allowed five hits, three runs (all earned), struck out seven batters, and issued six walks.

After the game the skipper spoke about Ryan's outing. "He is just a warrior, he threw a lot of pitches and just wanted to go back out feeling like he had a good sense for what he is doing, and I gave him that opportunity to go back out and he pitched really well."

Coming in as relief, Dan Goggin was credited with the win, improving his season record to 2-3. Goggin pitched 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two batters. On the flip side, for New York, Brandon Backman took the loss and dropped to 2-3 for the season. Backman's stat line for the game included pitching 6.1 innings, allowing four hits, three runs (one earned), and an impressive ten strikeouts.

On a favorable 2-0 count, Austin White led off the game by blasting the ball to the 403 feet in center field, resulting in an impressive leadoff triple. For White it was his second triple of the season and he hit a triple in back-to-back games. Keagan Calero followed up with a solid line drive to third baseman Thomas Walraven. Unfortunately, the momentum was halted as Wold struck out swinging and Cristino popped out to shortstop Austin Dennis, concluding the top of the inning.

In the bottom of the first, with one out, Ryan McCoy drew a walk, and then Steve Barmakian hit a single that sailed over the leaping attempt of Boone at second base. The ball traveled to right-center field, putting two New York runners on base with just one out. Christian Ficca then singled through the right side, granting the Boulders a 1-0 lead. Thomas Walraven followed this up with a double to center field, bringing in another run. This was Walraven's sixth double of the season. With two New York runners in scoring position, Chris Kwitzler came up to bat but fortunately for New England he struck out for the second out. David Visky then offered at the first pitch, and Calero put it away in right field for the third out, thus ending the inning.

J.R. DiSarcina started things off with a hit in the third. Then, White reached base on a fielder's choice and the speedy White managed to score all the way from first base due to an error by Walraven. The ball ate him up and went to left field allowing Calero to advance to second base. Wold then propelled the Knockouts into the lead with a two-run home run, marking his fifth homer of the season and putting the Knockouts ahead 3-2. However, the top of the inning came to a close as Cristino and Boone both struck out swinging.

Ryan initially faced a tough situation in the bottom half of the inning as he walked the first two batters. However, he quickly regained control by delivering two impressive strikeouts to Walraven and Kwitzler, who both went down swinging. Then, Vinsky hit a fly ball to the right fielder Kretzler, bringing an end to the inning. Despite encountering trouble, Ryan managed to navigate in and out of adversity without allowing a run.

Backman delivered an impressive performance on the mound in the fourth, when he struck out both Kretzler and Atiles. Following this, Nolan Lucier stepped up and singled to left field, but any hope for a comeback was quickly extinguished as DiSarcina struck out swinging. Joe DeLuca smoothly threw the ball to McCoy to complete the putout. Backman's dominance was evident as he recorded all three outs in the fourth inning via strikeouts.

In the bottom half of the inning, after quickly recording the first two outs, Ryan faced a challenge as Austin Dennis walked and stole second, marking his thirty-eighth stolen base of the year. McCoy also walked for the second time tonight, putting the Boulders in a promising position with two runners on base. The tension escalated as Barmakian flew out to the left fielder Lucier, ending the inning.

Wold came within inches of hitting his second home run of the game with two outs in the fifth. The ball soared towards the right-center field, but Vinsky managed to track it down at the warning track, to secure the third out.

DeLuca started off with a double for DeLuca. It was his eighteen double of the season. However, things took a turn in the seventh when Nick Gotta expertly executed a sacrifice bunt, advancing DeLuca to third, and resulting in the first out as Ryan made a swift throw to Boone. The Knockouts then caught a lucky break as Austin Dennis hit a line drive to Atiles at third base. DeLuca, who had ventured too far from the base, was attempting to get back to the bag but was unable to do so in time, resulting in a quick double play that ended the inning.

Barmakian's walk in the seventh was followed by a steal of second, marking his sixteenth stolen base of the year. Ficca also walked, putting two New York runners on base with just one out. Then, Walraven stepped up and delivered a game-tying double in the seventh inning, marking his second double of the night and his seventh of the season. With two runners in scoring position and the infield drawn in, Kwitzer struck out looking for the second out. Vinsky then grounded out to DiSarcina for the final out of the inning.

Wold singled and then advanced to second base on a wild pitch in the eighth. Cristino then hit an impressive inside-the-park home run, as the ball was hit to the left side corner of right field in the short porch area. The ball kept rolling to center field, allowing Wold and Cristino. This marked his league-leading twenty-fifth home run of the season, giving New England a 5-3 lead. Following this, Boone singled up the middle and also stole second base, marking his twenty-seventh stolen base of the year. However, with two outs, Atiles grounded out to Walraven for the third out of the inning.

DiSarcina started off the inning with a solid single to left field. Then, White capitalized on the short porch area in right field, launching a two-run home run for his first of the season, expanding the Knockouts' lead to 7-3.

After the game, White spoke about hitting a home run with Cristino in the same game. They were teammates at the University of Rhode Island. "It's funny. He hit the inside-the-park home run and I hit one over the fence. It's a small world, it's a very precious world you don't take everything for granted, and I am glad that I am able to do this with him and I have a great time doing it."

Soon after, with a runner on base, Wold stepped up and delivered a two-run home run, further extending New England's lead to 9-3.

For Wold it was his second two-run home run of the game and his sixth of the season. Boone followed with his twenty-second double of the season, but unfortunately, Kretzler popped out to Dennis, ending the inning.

After the game, Wold talked about his multi-home run game. "I just wanted to get a good pitch over the plate. They had been mixing me pretty well the last few days, because they knew if I saw something enough, I was going to eventually get it. They had a good plan, and I just felt good today. The offense was very contagious and I think the rest of the guys also felt good and we just took one."

New England's closer Reeves Martin entered the game in the ninth in a non-save situation. With precision and skill, he struck out all three batters he faced, securing a triumphant victory for New England.

In the game, Wold from New England had an impressive three hits, while White, Boone, and DiSarcina all had multiple hits. Lucier, Cristino, and Calero also contributed with a hit each, leading the Knockouts to victory. On the other side, Ficca and Walraven from New York performed well with multiple hits, and Dennis, Barmakian, and DeLuca each added a hit, despite ending up on the losing side.

The Knockouts are officially done with the 2024 home schedule. They will play their final game of the season tomorrow afternoon versus the same New York Boulders.


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Frontier League Stories from August 31, 2024


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