Eighth Time Is a Charm: Tornadoes Sweep Twinbill
August 29, 2011 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release
Zach Zuercher pitched a complete game in the first contest and Chris Colabello had the game-winning 2-RBI double in the Tornadoes' first doubleheader sweep of the season at the HIP on Monday. Alex Nunez and Alex Trezza each scored three times. Ryan Crespi and Mark Minicozzi each had a pair of RBI.
For the seventh time this season, Worcester took the first game of a twinbill. The home club scored the first and last runs of the ballgame in a 5-2 victory.
Crespi started the night's scoring with a sacrifice fly to plate Trezza in the second. Minicozzi added a solo homer and Crespi had an RBI double to make it 3-0 Worcester after three and a half innings.
The Boulders answered with a run in the top of the fifth with Cristobal Santana coming home. In the top of the sixth, Rockland pulled within a run with Norm Hutchins' RBI double. He was the first of two baserunners to knock at least a run in and get thrown out trying to take third on the play. (Colabello did the same later...)
In the bottom of the sixth frame, Trezza went deep to lead it off and Abraham Nunez walked with the bases loaded to send Crespi home and give the Worcester team five runs and a 5-2 lead. Zuercher pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for the win, his 14th of the season (14-4). It was his first complete game of fewer than nine innings and fourth overall. He struck four batters out, walked two and gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits.
The loss went to Will Hassett, who allowed seven hits and five runs (four earned) in 5.2 innings of work. He K'd four batters and walked five, although one was intentional. Jon Shepard retired Colabello, the only batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth with a strikeout.
For only the second time all year, the Tornadoes won the second game of the doubleheader. (Their only previous "W" in the second game was the lone previous time they lost the first game on August 16 against the Newark Bears.)
Worcester defeated Rockland 5-4 in the second contest, with another lefty starter (Shawn Gilblair) beating another righty one (Bobby Blevins). Gilblair improved to (6-6) on the season with a 6.1-inning, nine-strikeout, one-walk performance, giving up four runs (three earned) on 10 hits. Nick Serino earned his second save of the season by retiring the only two batters he faced.
Minicozzi's sacrifice fly put the Tornadoes up 1-0 after one inning, but the Boulders tied the game twice. In the top of the second,Cole Kraft scored on a passed ball after Ryan Mollica struck out, allowing Cole Kraft to score.
In the bottom of the third, Colabello knocked Alex Nunez home with a double, and Trezza singled Colabello in to give Worcester a 3-1 advantage. In the top of the fourth, Mollica hit a two-run shot that plated Ray Stokes and re-tied the game.
The Tornadoes took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth, when Colabello knocked both Alex and Abraham Nunez in with a double. He was thrown out trying to advance to third, but that was all Worcester would need.
Rockland made things interesting in the seventh with a solo homer by Jeremy Slayden to make it 5-4 Worcester, and that hit chased Gilblair from the game. He struck Norm Hutchins out swinging before Ryde Rodriguez came up. For the second time since Wednesday, Crespi made a sliding catch to end the game. (His previous game-ending play came in the 4-3 victory at Pittsfield on Thursday).
The victory in game two clinched the season series for the Tornadoes over their Rockland County opponent. They'll try to make it three for the first three on Tuesday night at 7:05pm.
The doubleheader sweep pulled the Tornadoes within half a game of the Brockton Rox for the fourth playoff spot in the 2011 CanAm League Post-Season and helped them keep pace with the New Jersey Jackals, who have a 1.5-game lead over Worcester for first place in the second half.
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Canadian American League Stories from August 29, 2011
- Eighth Time Is a Charm: Tornadoes Sweep Twinbill - Worcester Tornadoes
- Worcester Sweeps Rockland - New York Boulders
- Can-Am League Game Recaps - Can-Am
- Jackals Sweep Rox in Doubleheader to Clinch Playoff - New Jersey Jackals
- Rodriguez, Gelinas Win Weekly Awards - Can-Am
- Rockland Boulders Announce Hurricane Irene Relief Effort - New York Boulders
- Monday's Doubleheader Now Starts at 6:05 - Worcester Tornadoes
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