Brooks ends pitchers duel in empathic fashion

August 16, 2005 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
New Haven County Cutters News Release


A Jeff Brooks walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth ended one of the most impressive displays of starting pitching all year in the Can-Am League and gave the New Haven County Cutters a 4-0 victory over the North Shore Spirit on Tuesday night. It is the Cutters fourth victory in a row.

The game ending hit, a soaring long line drive to left center field, was the ninth home run by Brooks. It was an outstanding finish to an outstanding game.

Both starters, Rolando Valles for the Cutters and Ryan Bicondoa for the Spirit, gave heroic performances on the mound. In baseball, there can only be one winner and on this night it would be Valles who would enjoy the victory. He tossed a complete game shutout, scattering 10 hits and striking out a team-record 13 Spirit batters. The league record for strikeouts in a game by a single pitcher is 14.

All night, batters were baffled by the various pitches thrown by Valles and were struggling to make contact. Every batter he struck out went down swinging. When he gave up a hit, it was usually with two outs and he quickly ended any hopes of a rally. He retired 9 of 10 batters to end his night, with the lone hit coming off the bat of Marcos Agramonte, a double deep into the left center field gap. But the Spirit's second baseman committed one of the cardinal sins of baseball by being thrown out at third base for the final out of the top of the ninth. North Shore would not get another chance to bat.

Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Cutters had managed only two hits off Bicondoa, but started things quickly with back to back hits by Keto Anderson and Chas Terni to start the inning and chase the visitor's starter from the game. With runners on the corners and one out, Bill Peavey was intentionally walked by new pitcher Jarret Sues, to load the bases for Jeff Brooks. Leaving no doubt in anyone?s mind about the outcome of the game, Brooks deposited a Sues fastball into the Yale Field parking lot. A mob of teammates waited joyously at home while the jubilant Brooks rounded the bags. It was his only hit of the night.

Bicondoa's final line read eight and one third innings pitched, four hits, two earned runs, three walks and five strikeouts. It was his fourth loss of the year.

The teams try to match Tuesday's intensity and drama when the square off for the second of three games on Wednesday night. Bryan Morse (11-2) looks to right the ship for the Spirit while Jarrett Starwarz (7-5) tries to make it five wins in a row for the Cutters.



Canadian American League Stories from August 16, 2005


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