Can-Am Brockton Rox

Rox Build Lead, Hang On For 8-7 Game One Victory Over Pittsfield

Published on September 8, 2010 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Brockton Rox News Release


Brockton, Mass. - Brockton starter Mike Smith labored through eight innings for the victory as the Rox earned an 8-7 win over the Pittsfield Colonials on Wednesday evening, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five Can-Am League semifinal series.

The Colonials kicked things off by engineering a run in the first, as 1B Jerod Edmondson led off the game with a double, went to third on a groundout by SS Matt Nandin, and scored on an RBI grounder by 2B Danny Bomback.

Brockton responded quickly with three in its half of the inning, taking a lead it would not relinquish. After DH Scott Wearne was hit by a pitch, he came around to score on 2B Shawn Williams' double on the next pitch. Two batters later, RF Keith Brachold brought home Williams with a two-run dinger to right.

The Rox then made it a 5-1 game in the third, as Wearne led off with a single and scored on Can-Am League Player of the Year 1B Melvin Falu's home run off of Pittsfield starter Miguel Flores. Brockton then tacked on two more runs the next inning; 3B Phillip Cuadrado and SS Dominic Ramosboth singled, and were brought home on CF Chris Valencia's single, increasing the advantage to 7-1.

The fifth inning saw Pittsfield begin its comeback with C Scott Knazek and Quentin Davis leading off the frame with a single and a double, respectively, and scoring on RBI groundouts by Edmondson and Nandin.

Brockton scored another run in the fifth, as Brachold knocked a one-out triple and came home on C Chris Grossman's RBI single.

The Colonials shaved the Rox lead to 8-5 the following inning, taking advantage of back-to-back RBI singles from Davis and Edmondson. With Smith still in the game in the eighth, Pittsfield was able to plate two more runners. 3B Jason Taylor led off the inning with a triple and then scored on DH Rafael Cabreja's groundout to second. Two batters later, Edmondson and Davis struck again by hitting back-to-back doubles, scoring Edmondson to make it an 8-7 game.

Pittsfield threatened in the ninth off of Rox reliever Colin Lynch, as Bomback led off with a single and stole second, but was thrown out attempting to steal third with no outs to quell the rally.

Smith (1-0) threw 136 pitches and gave up seven runs on 12 hits for the win, striking out four. Lynch picked up the save. Flores (0-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in three and one-third.

Brachold and Grossman both had two base knocks on the Brockton side. Taylor, Davis and Edmonson each had three hits for the Colonials, but the Rox were able to keep league batting champ Daniel Carte at bay, as the right fielder went 0-for-5.

The two teams will meet in the second game of the series on Thursday night in Brockton, with Mike Wlodarczyk (10-3 regular season) on the bump for the Rox, facing David Qualben (6-7) at 7:05 p.m.

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Canadian American League Stories from September 8, 2010


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