Surf fall short in loss
August 29, 2008 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Atlantic City Surf News Release
Atlantic City, N.J. - SS Anthony Granato and CF Lucas Taylor led the Atlantic City offense, but an early Sussex lead was too much to overcome as the Surf fell to the Skyhawks, 5-3, in a Can-Am League affair at Bernie Robbins Stadium on Friday evening. The crowd of 6,762 was the team's third-largest this season.
Sussex got on the board with a two-run first inning, courtesy of RBI singles from DH Mario Delgado and RF Alex Frazier. The score remained 2-0 until Atlantic City halved the Skyhawks' lead in the fourth on 3B Gil Zayas' run-scoring groundout.
In the sixth, Sussex scored three more runs to take a lead it would not relinquish. SS Mark Pappas brought home Frazier with an RBI double, before CF Ron Perodin made it a 5-1 game with a one-out, two-run single.
The Surf scored a pair of runs in the seventh, first on Granato's triple, which brought home Taylor. LF Joe Burke then sent Granato home with an RBI groundout. Atlantic City threatened to tie the game in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out, but was unable to dent the Skyhawks' lead.
Craig Snipp (8-5) earned the win for Sussex, giving up three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work, fanning three. Matt Petrusek worked his way out of a jam in the ninth for his 23rd save of the season. Brian Rodaway was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs in five and one-third innings pitched, striking out seven.
Granato had his fifth multiple-hit evening in his last seven games, going 3-for-5; his seventh-inning triple was the Surf's only extra-base hit of the night. Taylor chipped in with a 2-for-4 night. For Sussex, Frazier piloted the squad's offense by going 3-for-5 with a double, while Delgado and Pappas both had a pair of base knocks.
With the loss and Worcester's 8-5 defeat of Ottawa, the Surf fall to fourth place in the second half standings and remain in fourth in the overall standings. Atlantic City must win its remaining three games, and receive help from other teams, to either win the second half or finish second in the league's overall standings, thereby earning a top seed in the playoffs.
The two teams meet in the second game of the four-game set on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. J.C. Huguet (9-7) hurls for Atlantic City, while Matt Salvato (9-4) is on the hill for the Skyhawks.
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