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FL New England Knockouts

Knockouts Split Series on Garcia's Walk-off Grand Slam

July 13, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
New England Knockouts News Release


BROCKTON, MA.- Jalen Garcia delivered a walk-off grand slam in the 10 th to give New England a 7-3 victory over Trois-Rivieres on Saturday night at Campanelli Stadium. The Knockouts improved to 19-36 while the Aigles dropped to 31-24.

Prior to the game, Jerod Edmondson spoke about last night's twenty-minute delay and explained if that had any effect on last night's first inning struggles. "I mean I wasn't a starting pitcher but I know the routine is certainly important but I mean I think Liam will tell you the same thing. There is really no excuses. It's like we got to be ready to play and deal with that situation whether it affects him or not... but after that he was fine."

Both starting pitchers received a no-decision. Trois-Rivieres starting pitcher, Tucker Smith, delivered a solid performance, pitching six innings and allowing five hits and two runs, with only one run being earned. He also walked two batters and struck out seven. Hernando Mejia took the loss pitching 0.2 innings, allowing one hit, four runs (three earned) while walking two and striking out a batter. New England's starting pitcher, Anderson Comas, pitched 5.2 innings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs while also walking two batters. Reeves Martin recorded his fifth win of the season improving to 5-2 after pitching two shutout innings in relief.

In the second inning, Dalton Combs hit a ground rule double to start things off, and then Brendon Dadson hit a base hit into the opposite field with one out. This put runners on first and third for Trois-Rivieres. However, Comas managed to retire Luis Curbelo with a double play to end the threat.

Brady West, in the bottom of the second with one out, delivered an opposite field home run into the Knockouts bullpen and secured a 1-0 lead for New England. This homerun was West's sixth home run of the season. Jake Boone followed when he crushed a double, splitting the outfielders in left center field. As a result of a wild pitch, Boone advanced to third base. The momentum continued as Victor Castillo reached base on a fielder's choice, enabling Boone to score after an error by Aigles catcher Willie Estrada.

In the bottom of the fifth, Trois-Rivières managed to secure the first two outs quickly. However, their efforts were interrupted by consecutive walks from Austin White and Nolan Lucier. Unfortunately for New England, their hopes of scoring were dashed when John Cristino struck out swinging to end the inning.

Comas found himself in a difficult situation with two runners on base in the top of the sixth and only one out. Combs hit a fly ball to Castillo in right field, resulting in the second out. Then, Rodrigo Orozco drew a walk on four pitches to load the bases. Brendon Dadson, facing a full count, delivered a crucial hit with a bases-clearing double, giving the Aigles a 3-2 lead. With runners on the corners, Payton Robertson grounded out to end the inning and the threat.

Trois Rivieres had an opportunity to extend their lead. With runners on the corners in the seventh and two outs, Combs stepped up to the plate but struck out looking.

The Knockouts, down to their final out, when Victor Castillo came through with a 389-foot home run on a 3-1 count that tied the game at three apiece.

After the game Castillo talked about his at-bat. "After the first two guys got out there and put two great swings... I was trying to look for something down the middle and get something I knew I could drive. I was pretty patient on that at-bat and set myself off on the best count possible for me."

After Trois-Rivieres wasn't able to capitalize on their ghost runner opportunity, the Knockouts took advantage. Jimenez was placed on second as the runner when DiSarcina moved him over on a sacrifice bunt. The winning run was 90 feet away when both White and Lucier were intentionally walked to load the bases. A few batters later, Garcia delivered a walk-off grand slam that traveled 334 feet for a 7-3 victory.

After the game Garcia spoke about his game-winner. "I was looking to do something that I can do damage with and trying to stick to my regular approach. It was another at bat not trying to get too big into the moment. I got there and I knew I was going to get off-speed... he threw a fastball and I was ready, and I got one."

Aigles' player Dadson had a three-hit game, with both Thomas Green and Luis Curbelo also delivering strong performances with a two-hit game each. Additionally, four Trois-Rivieres players managed to record a hit.

On the New England side, Garcia stood out as the sole Knockout player to secure a three-hit game, while four other players recorded a hit each.

The Knockouts return to Campanelli Stadium tomorrow, squaring off in the series finale against Les Aigles de Trois-Rivières. Tickets for the rest of the weekend can be found at https://tickets.knockoutsbaseball.com/.

Check out the New England Knockouts Statistics

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Frontier League Stories from July 13, 2024


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