Pioneers Bang Out 4 Triples in Wild 9-7 Win at Allentown

Published on July 5, 2002 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Elmira Pioneers News Release


Friday, July 5, 2002 - Bicentennial Park, Allentown, Penn.

The Elmira Pioneers overcame a 6-3 deficit for a hard-fought 9-7 victory at the Allentown Ambassadors Friday night in the 1st of a 3-game series. It is the largest deficit the Pioneers have overcome this season.

Rafael Alvarez led the way going 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and an rbi. He hit one of Elmira 4 triples on the night. Rod Smith, Bobby Hill and Brandon Hill had the other 3-baggers.

Matt Pike (5-0) picked up his 3rd relief victory of the season spinning shutout ball for 1.2ip in the 7th and 8th. Julio Perez mopped up in the 9th for his 8th save, 2nd in the NLE. Jeff Andra started and was touched for 7 runs, 5 earned in 6.1ip allowing 9 hits, 1 walk and 2 k's.

Reliever Tom Curtiss was pinned with the loss for the Ambassadors giving up 4runs, 3 earned in the 7th through 9th innings. John Lunney went 6ip alowing 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned in a no decision.

Elmira scored in 6 of their 9 trips to the plate and tallied runs in 5 straight innings from the 3rd through the 7th.

The Ambassadors were welcoming back manager Ed Ott for his first game in an Allentown uniform since he managed the club from 1997-1999. Ott returned after Darrell Evans was fired as manager earlier this week. Allentown had dropped 14 of their last 15 games. The Allentown offense, rated last in the league with a team batting average of .228 responded with a performance unlike most of their recent games.

In a back and forth ball-game, both teams would trade runs all night long with the swirling winds and hard infield causing headaches for fielders on both sides.

Allentown took the initial lead in the bottom of the 1st with Stephen Larkin bouncing a single past a diving Osmani Garcia at 3B. Larkin stole 2nd and eventually scored on consecutive grounders by Ryan Bordenick and A.J.Leday.

Elmira tied it in the top of the 3rd with Osmani Garcia looping a double into the RF corner, advancing on a groundout by Bobby Hill and scoring on a Sac-Fly to CF by Rod Smith.

Allentown scored to in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 3-1 lead on a 2-run HR to RF by Ryan Bordenick (6th) barely clearing the wall at the 310 ft. mark.

The Pioneers came back again to tie it with single runs in the 4th and 5th innings. Rafael Alvarez hit a double that landed in front of LF Keith Maxwell who misjudged it by going back on the ball. Norm Hutchins followed with a fly to CF that drew in Schuyler Doakes as the ball sailed over his for a three base error driving in Alvarez. Pedro Quero hit a chopper to 3rd and Gustavo Escobar gunned down Hutchins at the plate. Allentown tried to throw out Quero at 1st after he rounded the bag and instead Ryan Bordenick threw it away but 1B Josh Tehonica retrived the ball and threw out

The Ambassadors scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 5th off Andra to take a 6-3 lead with Stephen Larkin's 2-run double completing the rally.

Norm Hutchins beat out an infield single in the 6th, moved up on a wild pitch by Lunney and a ground-out by Quero and scored on a single by Brian Jones to make it 6-4.

Elmira put together a 3-run rally in the 7th to take the lead again at 7-6. Bobby Hill tripled to the RF corner as the ball spun away from A.J. Leday. Rod Smith's single to right brought home Hill closing the margin to 6-5. Smith stole 2nd and with 1-out scored on a stand-up triple to right-center by Rafael Alvarez, his league leading 5th triple of the season. Alvarez crossed with the go-ahead run when Norm Hutchins hot shot kicked off the glove of SS Jay Hood for an error.

The Ambassadors tied it in the bottom of the 7th with Schuyler Doakes walking, stealing 2nd and scoring on a double by Stephen Larkin that knocked Andra out of the game.

Matt Pike enteredand hit Ryan Bordenick with a fastball but got back to back strikeouts of Leday and Tehonica as Allentown stranded runners at 1st and 2nd.

Elmira broke the 7-7 tie in the top of the 9th inning with Rafael Alvarez leading off with a bunt single down the 3rd base line. He scored on a Pedro Quero line-drive that glanced off the glove of the leaping SS Jay Hood going all the way to the wall in left-center. Pinch-runner Rolando Bello scored the last run on a Brandon Pernell triple spinning against the wall in the RF corner.

LH Justin Stine (1-4, 5.81) takes the hill in the Saturday night game at 7:05 against Allentown RH Bake Leonards (0-3, 5.64). The Sunday finale at 5:05 has LH Sean Brummett (5-1, 1.87) going up against RH Silvio Censale (0-1, 9.00). Shigeki Sano will start the Pioneers next home game Monday night vs. the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs. That 3-game series will conclude the first half of the campaign.



Canadian American League Stories from July 5, 2002


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