Bears Hold off Tornadoes 4-3
August 13, 2012 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release
Monday night's game had the potential to be a fantastic pitcher's duel, with Newark's Mike Ness, one of the best pitchers in the CanAm League going for the Bears, against Kevin Cooper who has excelled at the HIP all season long, the game easily fulfilled the hype.
Both pitchers went eight innings allowing three earned runs and the Bears just edged out the Tornadoes by a 4-3 score Monday night at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.
Ness continued his month-long brilliant stretch, going eight innings allowing three runs on 10 hits, while striking out nine. The Newark ace struck out at least one batter in each of the first five innings and walked just one Tornado.
On the opposite side, Cooper was almost as good for Worcester. The Tornadoes righty went eight strong innings with eight strikeouts and two walks in tying his longest outing of the season. He gave up nine hits and four runs with three of them earned.
Jerod Edmondson led the Tornadoes finishing 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Mike Gedman added two hits, a run and a stolen base. Alex Nunez went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI and Cam Kneeland and Jimmy Best each tallied a run scored.
The difference in the game ended up being two-out runs, as Newark plated all four of their runs with two outs.
After a scoreless first, Newark scored two runs in the second inning on four hits and a walk. Daryle Ward popped up a ball on the infield to start the game that the Tornadoes infield lost in the lights. After another single, Kevin Cooper induced a double play to put Ward on third with two outs. Juan Martinez followed with a walk and James Roche made Cooper pay with an RBI single to left to give Newark a 1-0 lead. After a Tornadoes error that loaded the bases, Mike Richard made it 2-0 Bears with an RBI single to right field.
Worcester rallied to tie the game in the fifth in just their second inning with a baserunner up until that point. Kneeland and Best led off the inning with back-to-back singles and after a Matt Jacobs strikeout-Edmondson stepped up for the third time. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Edmondson blasted a double to right-center field that was just deep enough to score Best from first.
Newark had an answer though. The Bears took the lead back in the sixth inning with a big double of their own. With the bases loaded and two outs, Orlando Mercado smashed a two-run double into the right-field corner to give the Bears a 4-2 lead.
The Tornadoes pieced a run together in the eight inning but fell just short of tying the game. Gedman and Chris Torres singled to start the eight inning and Alex Nunez showed bunt to start his at-bat. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Nunez showed bunt and pulled it back as Gedman dashed down to third base for his first career stolen base. The stolen base proved extremely important as Nunez hit a shallow fly ball to center field that was just deep enough to score Gedman. But the Tornadoes rally fell short, as Ness bore down to retire the next two batters.
Jorge Vasquez came on for Newark in the ninth inning and allowed Ryan Brockett to reach second base with two outs but recorded the final batter to earn his league-high 15th save of the season.
Worcester and Newark will resume their series with the Bears Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. with Walker McKinven taking the mound.
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Canadian American League Stories from August 13, 2012
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