EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Fightins Win Wildest Game of the Year

Published on July 22, 2018 under Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


(Reading, PA) - With rain hammering Baseballtown for the better part of two days, it was supposed to be a long Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium with the Fightin Phils and Curve scheduled to play two. For the Fightins, it was their third doubleheader in a span of five days, and what started as a normal day got interesting late in the evening. The Fightins erased a four-run deficit in the seventh inning despite a two hour, 40-minute rain delay, and eventually won in extra innings 6-5 before the nightcap was called.

The starting pitching matchup between Franklyn Kilome and Taylor Hearn lived up to the billing, and the pair held each lineup scoreless for the first five innings. In the sixth, Curve second baseman Alfredo Reyes led off with a single and later scored with two outs on a double from Ke'Bryan Hayes. Kilome started the seventh inning and got the first out on a groundout to third, but loaded the bases with a single and a pair of walks before coming out.

Edgar Garcia relieved Kilome and surrendered a two-RBI single to Reyes before pinch-hitter Logan Ratledge made it 4-0 Altoona with a sacrifice fly. That's when the fun started.

Down to their last three outs, the Fightin Phils put runners on when Deivi Grullon and Heiker Meneses walked against Curve closer Tate Scioneaux. Malquin Canelo made it 4-1 with a two-out RBI double, and Adam Haseley cut the deficit to one with a two-RBI single. Damek Tomscha's second single was the third straight with two outs for the Fightin Phils, and Darick Hall came up with the tying and winning runs at first and second.

With the count 2-2, the umpires called for the tarp as rain continued to hammer the diamond. Two hours and 40 minutes later when play resumed, Hall singled on the first pitch from new Curve reliever Matt Eckelman to tie the game at four. The teams then headed to extras, where the Curve would strike first.

Cole Tucker was at third base with two outs, and Will Craig smacked a shot into center field that could have been caught for the final out of the inning. Instead, Jan Hernandez slipped on the wet grass, and Craig was credited with an RBI triple despite trying to stretch it and getting thrown out at the plate for the final out.

Due to a double switch, Fightins reliever Jeff Singer started the bottom of the eighth as the automatic runner at second base. Eckelman then walked Hernandez and fielded a sacrifice bunt from Deivi Grullon for the first out of the inning. With first base open, pinch-hitter Drew Stankiewicz was intentionally walked to load the bases and Cornelius Randolph's grounder to second skipped by Reyes for a game-ending error that gave the Fightins an improbable 6-5 win.

America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region. Season tickets for the 2018 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at FirstEnergy Stadium. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins.

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Eastern League Stories from July 22, 2018


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