Bears Take Series with 7-3 Win
August 16, 2012 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release
After losing two of the first three games against the Bears, Worcester set out to split their four-game set with Newark and tie the season series at seven Thursday night. Despite totaling fourteen base runners and loading the bases on two occasions, Worcester's comeback fell short as Newark held on for a 7-3 win thanks to a three-run fifth.
Newark banged out 14 hits and four extra-base hits but it was the fifth inning in which they had five consecutive base-runners that proved to be decisive. After an error with one out, the Bears put together three straight singles to make it 4-2 and added a fielder's choice later in the inning to make it 5-2.
Cam Kneeland led the Tornadoes offense with a two-run home run in the second inning to tie the score at two. It was Kneeland's fifth home run of the season and second in the series.
Alex Nunez added two singles and a walk and Brendon Kelliher walked three times in his five trips to the plate.
The Bears jumped out to an early lead for the third time in the series behind another early home run. Daryle Ward led off the second inning with a grounder down the first base line and three batters later Orlando Mercado hit a blast over the left-field fence for his third home run of the year.
Kneeland would answer right back in the bottom of the inning. With one out and Nunez on first after a single, Kneeland crushed a pitch to left-center field for the only runs of the game scored against Newark's starting pitcher Julian Sampson. Sampson lasted five and two-thirds innings allowing two earned runs, four hits and four walks, while striking out seven.
After two scoreless innings, Newark blew things open by attacking the first pitch. The first three batter of the inning swung on the first pitch resulting in a fly out, a hard hit ball that resulted in an error and a single to put runners on first and third. John Reardon followed with the first of his two RBI singles to score Dan Coury and D'Angelo Jimenez made it 4-2 with an RBI single of his own to plate Mike Richard. With the bases loaded and one out, James Roche hit a hard grounder to short but just beat the throw to first on the double play attempt to score Reardon.
Bryce Lane and Coury started the sixth inning with back-to-back doubles to extend the lead to 6-2 but that would be all the Bears would score against Sausville. The Tornadoes righty allowed six runs, four earned over seven innings and struck out three while walking four.
Worcester forced Newark to go to the pen in the bottom half of the inning but couldn't come through with the big hit. After putting two runners on with one out, Sergio Espinosa came in in relief and walked Alex Nunez before striking out the next two batters to escape the inning without giving up a run.
The Tornadoes would load the bases again in the eight with one out but only managed one run. Jimmy Best hit a sacrifice fly to score Mike Gedman and Matt Jacobs walked to end Espinosa's night. Closer Jorge Vasquez came on for the four out save and promptly struck out two of the four batters he faced to earn his third save in four days.
Friday the Tornadoes take to the road to start a three-game set at New Jersey beginning at 7:05 p.m. Mike Gedman will get the start in Game One, with Kevin Cooper and Walker McKinven due to pitch the next two games.
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Canadian American League Stories from August 16, 2012
- Bears Take Series with 7-3 Win - Worcester Tornadoes
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