Rock Cats Win in 10 Innings 6-5

Published on April 14, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - The Rock Cats scored a run in the bottom of the 10thinning and won their first home game of the season, defeating the Portland Sea Dogs 6-5 on Sunday afternoon. OF Danny Ortiz ripped a 2-out single into left field and scored Curt Smith for the game winning run. The hit was set up by a double by SS James Beresford.

In a game that saw Bethel, CT native and former UConn star Matt Barnes making his Connecticut debut as a professional for the Portland club, it was late inning heroics that decided the final game of the opening series.

Barnes labored through 2 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits over 59 pitches. He left the game with the Rock Cats up 5-1 in the bottom half of the third, but would not be charged with the loss as the Sea Dogs chiseled the lead away and would tie the game 5-5 by the fifth inning.

Rock Cats starter Blake Martin was strong through four, giving up a run in the opening frame, but Portland would start to hit the lefty and reliever A.J. Achter would have to finish the inning with the score even at 5. Second baseman Harold Garcia, in his first season with the Rock Cats, had to leave the game with an injury after stretching out to his right to make a play on a bouncing grounder.

In the bottom of the seventh and the Rock Cats threatening with runners on first and third, Sea Dog third baseman Michael Almanzar made a great diving stop on Evan Bigley's grounder to end the inning.

Fans would have to wait until the bottom of the tenth for the home team to pull ahead in walk-off fashion. Ortiz stepped up to the plate with Curt Smith on third thanks to a James Beresford double and slapped reliever Will Latimer's pitch past Almanzar to drive home the winning run.

The Rock Cats avoided the sweep with Sunday's win and will start a three-game series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Monday at 6:35.

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Eastern League Stories from April 14, 2013


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