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Can-Am Brockton Rox

Rox Wrap Up Homestand With Sweep Of Rockland

August 7, 2011 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Brockton Rox News Release


(Brockton, Mass. - August 7, 2011) - The Brockton Rox (15-6, 41-26) pitching staff dominated the Rockland Boulders (7-13, 26-40) for the first three games of the series at Campanelli Stadium, putting the pressure on Julian Sampson (7-3) to follow suit on Sunday night.

Sampson did exactly that, as the righthander limited the Boulders to just one run on two hits in Brockton's 9-2 victory over Rockland. The 22 year-old struck out and walked one in seven frames of stellar baseball and received a ton of run support from his teammates.

The scoring barrage began in the first inning when the Rox loaded the bases against Will Hassett (4-5). Dan Barbero walked, scoring Melvin Falu as the game's first run and Trey Hernandez followed with a two-run single that plated Keith Brachold and Chris Grossman for 3-0 Rox lead.

Hernandez busted out of his slump going 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs in the series finale.

The first hit of the game against Sampson came on a Norm Hutchins solo home run in the second frame that cut the lead to two. The Boulders scored on only one other occasion, scratching a single tally in the eighth against reliever Jimmer Kennedy.

Brockton exploded for five runs in the third to chase Hassett after just two and 2/3 innings. It began with a Tucker Nathans double ripped into rightfield that scored Brachold and Grossman. After an Alex Sumner sacrifice bunt plated Hernandez, Chris Valencia added to the onslaught with a two-run homer that put the Rox up 8-1.

Brockton tacked on one more run in the seventh, courtesy of a solo homer by Barbero, his fourth of the season.

Rockland mustered three hits and a run against Kennedy in the eighth, but finished with a total of just five hits in the loss. Aside from the Hutchins homer, Ryan Mollica was one of the lone bright spots for the Boulders as he went 2-for-4 in the ballgame.

For the Rox, Valencia finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs on the round-tripper and also stole his league-leading 33rd base of the season. Falu also had a multi-hit game, as he went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Seven of the nine Brockton batters finished with at least one hit in the game.

The Rox trail the Quebec City Capitales by six games for first place in the overall standings and remain one half game behind their upcoming opponent, the Worcester Tornadoes, for first place in the second half standings.

The Rox and Tornadoes will meet for the first time since the month of June, this after Brockton took 7-of-8 from Worcester to open up the 2011 campaign. It will be a battle of the southpaws when the series begins on Tuesday as Dustin Birosak (6-1, 2.97) and Zach Zuercher (10-4, 3.84) square off at 7:05 p.m.

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Canadian American League Stories from August 7, 2011


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