Becker lifts Pride to a 4-3 victory over Ducks

September 29, 2005 - Atlantic League (AtL)
American Defenders of New Hampshire News Release


(Nashua, NH) Atlantic League regular season home run and RBI leader Brian Becker did it again on Thursday night. Becker belted a one-out walk-off homer in the ninth inning off Long Island ace Lance Davis to lift the Nashua Pride a 4-3 victory over the defending league champion Ducks at Historic Holman Stadium. Becker's home run gave the Pride a two games to one win in the best-of-three North Division Championship Series.

The Pride will take on the Somerset Patriots in Game One of the Atlantic League Championship Series on Friday night in New Jersey. The Patriots eliminated Atlantic City in the South Division Championship Series on Thursday night, 5-1. It will mark the third time the Pride and the Patriots have met in the A.L. Championship Series in the eight-year history of the league. Each team has one once in the head-to-head showdowns.

Nashua took the early lead off Davis in the first inning on a run-scoring double by captain Glenn Murray.

The Ducks responded in the third when Henry Rodriguez, a former member of the Pride, hit a two-run homer off Nashua starter Pete Hartmann.

The Pride tied it up at 2-2 in the fourth. Becker scored the equalizer on an error by L.I. right fielder Manny Martinez who misplayed an Orlando Miller hit allowing Becker to come around from first to cross the plate.

In the sixth, the Ducks took a 3-2 lead on a leadoff homer by Martinez. Murray tied it for the Pride with a one-out solo shot in the in the bottom of the inning.

Long Island had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the ninth off Pride ace Denny Harriger who entered the ballgame out of the bullpen to open the inning. Juan Lorenzo started the frame with a double and advanced to third on bunt single by Steve Torrealba. With runners on the corners and no one out, Junstin Davies hit a hard ground ball to Pride shortstop Orlando Miller. Miller went to second to get the force on Torrealba and then second baseman Joe Kilburg threw home to erase Lorenzo as the tage was applied by Nashua catcher Luis Rodriguez to complete the double play. The inning ended when Davies was caught stealing by Harriger.

The stage was then set for the heroics by Becker who hit 41 home runs and knocked in 110 runs during the 2005 season for Nashua.

After Games One and Two Friday and Saturday nights in Bridgewater, NJ, the Pride will host Game Three of the Atlantic League Championship Series on Sunday at 6:35 PM.



Atlantic League Stories from September 29, 2005


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