NYPL Vermont Lake Monsters

Expos take season opener on Montz's clutch hit

June 18, 2004 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


ONEONTA, VT --- Luke Montz broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI single and then ended the game in the bottom of the ninth by tagging out the potential tying run at the plate to give the Vermont Expos a 3-2 victory over the Oneonta Tigers in the New York-Penn League opener for both teams Friday night.

The win gives the Expos just their third win in the team's 11-year history and their first win in a lidlifter since 2001. This is the third straight year that Vermont has opened the season in Oneonta and the Tigers had swept a three-game series to open play in both 2002 and 2003.

The victory also marks the first time since the Expos were 8-7 on July 3, 2001 that Vermont's record is above the .500 mark.

The Expos broke out to a 2-0 lead on Friday with single runs in the first and second innings. Ofilio Castro tripled and scored on a groundout in the first inning, then Montz doubled and scored on a Brad Ditter RBI single in the second.

Vermont starter Jon Felfoldi gave up a leadoff single in the first, but retired the next 10 batters before Oneonta got a two-run single from Justin Justice in the fourth inning to tie the game 2-2. Felfoldi recovered to allow just one more hit as he pitched into the seventh inning and finished the game with six strikeouts.

The Expos got the winning run in the ninth on a leadoff single from Marvin Lowrance, a one-out single by Steve Mortimer and the RBI single to left from Montz. In the Tigers ninth with two outs and Matt Williams on first, Aaron McRae singled to left and when the ball got away from Lowrance, Williams tried to score all the way from first. But shortstop Castro threw a perfect relay throw to Montz at the plate to get Williams for the final out.

Montz and Ditter both finished 2-for-4 with one RBI, while Gus Hlebovy allowed two hits in the ninth inning as he picked up his first save of the year.

The Expos will play the middle game of the three-game series at Oneonta on Saturday night with Chris Goodman on the mound. After Sunday's series finale, Vermont opens its 2004 home schedule against the Lowell Spinners at Centennial Field.

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