Surf win wild one in extras
August 14, 2008 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Atlantic City Surf News Release
Atlantic City, N.J. - 2B Brad Thoma's one-out, tenth-inning solo home run gave the Atlantic City Surf a 5-4 victory over the Worcester Tornadoes on Thursday evening in a Can-Am League affair at Bernie Robbins Stadium.
Worcester (18-13) jumped on the board with three runs in the third inning, courtesy of an RBI groundout from RF Scott Grimes and a single by 1B Chris Colabello, which brought home two runs, one of which was a result of a throwing error by 3B Gil Zayas.
Atlantic City (18-11) responded with four runs in the fourth inning. After DH Clyde Williams singled to center, bringing home LF Joe Burke, C William Plaza hit a three-run dinger to center, his fourth of the season. Worcester then quickly tied the game in the fifth on CF B.J. Weed's sacrifice fly.
From that point, the game developed into a pitchers' duel, with the two teams managing only two base hits combined until Thoma's blast in the bottom of the tenth off of Anthony Sullivan (2-1).
Kyle George (5-2) earned the victory in relief for the Surf, facing the minimum six batters in two innings of work. The Atlantic City bullpen was superb all evening in relief of starter Derek Barrows, as George, Derek Duclos and Walker Whitley combined to limit the powerful Worcester offense to just one hit, a seventh-inning single, in five and two-thirds innings of work. Tornadoes' starter Junior Guerrero received a no-decision, giving up four runs on five hits in eight innings pitched, striking out five.
The Surf's six hits were spread among six players. Worcester 3B Mike MacMillan was the only hitter on either team with a multiple-hit evening, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The win enabled the Surf to salvage the final game of the four-game set, after having dropped the first three. With Quebec's 3-1 loss to Brockton, Atlantic City moves back to within one game of the Capitales for first place in the second half. The win also brings the Surf back into a tie with the Tornadoes for the league's second-best overall record; should Quebec win the second half, the second-best team overall would receive home-field advantage in the first round.
The Surf go on the road Friday evening to start a three-game series at New Jersey. Atlantic City's starter has yet to be announced, while Jorge Acosta (1-2) throws for the Jackals in a game set for 7:05 p.m.
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