Suns Take First Loss

June 10, 2012 - Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL)
Old Orchard Beach News Release


The Pittsfield Suns were handed their first lose of the season through late inning drama in the ninth against the North Shore Navigators.

The lefty Zach Ferris was the starting pitcher for The Suns as North Shore sent out right hander Adrian Benitez for the start. The Navigators took an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second as Patrick Raley, Brad Elwood, and Alex Markakis each hit an RBI double with Elwood getting two RBIs in his route to his two-bagger.

Jimmy Ricoy has been very impressive so far this season. In the top half of the fourth, with runners on second and third, Markakis hit a fly ball into right field, where Ricoy was playing. He makes the catch and throws a bullet to home plate and guns down Sam August, who was trying to tag during the play. This play would help change the momentum for the Suns, as they scored 2 runs in their half of the inning.

With the score at 4-2 North Shore in the top of the fifth, Tim Hendricks hit a frozen rope to right-center for an RBI triple, extending the lead now to 5-2.

However, The Suns would bounce back immediately. Pittsfield hit four consecutive singles to force in two runs, one coming in on a throwing error from the right fielder, Sam August. That would be all from the starter Adrian Benitez, as Mike Weisman came in for relief. The Suns would then score two more to end the inning with 4 runs and a 6-5 lead.

In the sixth, both teams got an extra run on the board as Jake McGuiggan hit an RBI triple to deep left-center for the Navigators and Ryan Deitrich hit an RBI single for the Suns.

With the score 7-6 in favor of the Suns in the seventh, Tito Marrero walked, advanced to third on two separate wild pitches, and scored on a throwing error by the catcher, Patrick Raley, to put an insurance run on the scoreboard with it now reading 8-6.

But the Navigators took over. With two outs in the top of the eighth, McGuiggan walked, then Ryan Muno hits a two-run homer into the bullpen in left. Tim Hendricks would later hit an RBI single to put North Shore up 9-8 going into the bottom of half.

From there, Pittsfield would bat around the order and score four runs in the inning through an RBI single from Marrero, a wild pitch, an RBI hit batsman, and an RBI groundout.

Going into the top of the ninth, with Adam Krebs looking to close things out, blows his save, giving up 5 singles and an intentional pass. With the score now tied at 12 a piece, the worst hasn't come yet. On a 1-2 pitch with two out to Raley and the bases loaded, Krebs throws wild to advance all the runners. Then as Krebs is walking back to the mound, the catcher, Brandan Slattery, throws to the pitcher, who isn't looking. The ball rolls toward first base as Marrero charges and tries to get the runner coming home on the error, but throws wide, as the final runner advances to third. With the score 14-12, the next pitch is a groundout. A costly wild pitch and two errors in the ninth decided the outcome as the Suns went in order in the ninth.

The winning pitcher was Ryan Grant, the losing pitcher with a blown save is Adam Krebs, and Tim Cassidy recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to earn the save. The player of the game was the left fielder Tim Hendricks, who went 4-5 with a triple, walk, and three singles, 2 RBIs, and scored once. Next time out for the Suns will be tomorrow on the road, as they travel to face the 2-0 Torrington Titans with a scheduled first pitch at 1:05 PM.



Futures Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 10, 2012


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