Sudden Death Comes to Trenton
Published on August 14, 2022 under Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
Trenton Thunder News Release
(Trenton, NJ) - A Sunday night crowd of 3,954 made its presence felt at Trenton Thunder Ballpark when their Thunder scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the Black Bears and force sudden death. In the first installment of the new rule for 2022 in Trenton, the Thunder opted to hit, needing just one run with an automatic runner at first base to start the half inning. Unfortunately, Grayson Thurman rebounded with three quick outs after blowing the initial save, giving West Virginia the de facto series win in the third and deciding game of the series.
The first four innings took less than an hour as starters Christian Capuano and Patrick Miner both worked relentlessly and efficiently. After working around a single in his first two innings, Capuano got burned when Maddux Houghton continued the third with a base hit and Ryan Hernandez blasted his tenth home run to dead center for a 2-0 Black Bears lead.
Later in the fifth, number nine hitter Anthony Stehlin singled off Capuano and got to second after a walk by Turner Hill. On the very first pitch, Houghton singled home the third run, keeping the score at 3-0 as Miner carved up the Thunder lineup over his first six innings while never allowing any of their three baserunners to advance past first.
In the bottom of the seventh, Christian Merriwether collected his second hit with a leadoff double and Dilan Espinal singled for the second time to bring up the tying run. With one out, Damian Yenzi's sacrifice fly to center got the Thunder within two runs and slightly dented Miner, who finished the seventh with his ninth strikeout.
The Thunder used four relievers for an inning each, with Shemar Page, William Saxton, Nicolas Luc, and Hunter Waldis holding the dangerous Black Bears lineup to just one hit for the rest of the night. In the bottom of the ninth, Logan Demkovich keyed the rally with a leadoff single and scampered to third when pinch-hitter Mark Herron whacked a double into right center on an 0-2 pitch. A groundout from Dilan Espinal made it 3-2 and two pitches later Paul Coumoulos sliced a game-tying single into left field to force the first sudden death game in Trenton.
The homestand picks up on Tuesday, August 16 at 7:00 PM when your Thunder start a new three-game series against the Williamsport Crosscutters! For full ticket pricing and information for the rest of the 2022 season, partnership/sponsorship opportunities, and information about special events at Trenton Thunder Ballpark, please visit trentonthunder.com or call the Thunder Box Office at (609) 394-3300, opt 4.
Major League Baseball Draft League Stories from August 14, 2022
- Spikes Come Back on Sunday to Take 3-2 Victory, Sweep Crosscutters - State College Spikes
- West Virginia Sinks Trenton in Sudden Death for Series Win - West Virginia Black Bears
- Sudden Death Comes to Trenton - Trenton Thunder
- Cutters Drop Fourth Straight; Swept By Spikes - Williamsport Crosscutters
- Keys Score 11 to Grab Series from Mahoning Valley - Frederick Keys
- Spikes Surge Again in 8-3 Win over Crosscutters on Saturday Night - State College Spikes
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