Tommy Kretzler Delivers Game-Tying Home Run; Knockouts Win Cinderella Finale at Home

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FL New England Knockouts

Tommy Kretzler Delivers Game-Tying Home Run; Knockouts Win Cinderella Finale at Home

August 25, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
New England Knockouts News Release


BROCKTON, MA.- Tommy Kretzler hit a game-tying three-run home run in the tenth to give New England a 9-8 sudden-death victory in the eleventh. The Knockouts also complete the four-game sweep over Sussex County in the final home game of their 2024 season at Campanelli season. The Knockouts boosted their record to 36-52, while the Miners slip to 30-60.

Before the game, the skipper Jerod Edmondson reminisced about the unforgettable moments from the 2024 season, knowing that this afternoon's game marks the last home game of their inaugural season. "It has been awesome to me. To be in a place that I was fortunate enough to play here as a player, and then to come back here, to be the Manager in the first year, and having a team back in professional baseball has been awesome. I gotta do it with the people that I wanted to do it with. [Dan] Saus[ville] and Chris [Edmondson] are the only two people in the world that I wanted to do it with, so being able to have those guys and having a great group of players. I will remember the growth over the season. Where we started to where we are now is such a crazy turnaround. [We had] a lot of ups and downs, and that's the stuff that we remember."

Both starting pitchers had impressive outings but didn't factor into the decision. New England's starting pitcher, Liam O'Sullivan, delivered a six-inning performance, allowing seven hits and five earned runs while also walking a batter. Reeves Martin secured the win, improving his record to 7-2 this season, after pitching a solid inning in relief in the eleventh. On the other side, Sussex County's starting pitcher, Kellen Brothers, also took a no-decision after pitching six innings, giving up nine hits and five earned runs while issuing four walks.

In the top of the inning, with one out, Tony Gomez hit a sharp line drive to left field for a single, and Oraj Anu followed with a solid single to right field. The Miners had two runners on base when Gavin Stupienki stepped up to the plate and crushed a three-run homer to center field. The ball soared 409 feet with an exit velocity of 99 mph off the bat, marking Stupienki's eighth home run of the season. Following Stupienki's big hit, Evan Sleight flew out to Austin White, and Evan Giordano grounded out to Noah Lucier for the third out.

In the bottom half of the inning, White hit a solid single that landed in center field and then showcased his speed as he stole second base, which marked his frontier lead leaguing fifty-seventh stolen base of the season. Following this, Keagan Calero walked to first base, placing the Knockouts in a promising position with runners on the corners. However, the momentum shifted when Jack-Thomas Wold grounded out to Giordano at second base. This allowed John Cristino to reach first base on a fielder's choice, but an aggressive attempt to advance from third to home by White resulted in him getting tagged out in a rundown. The turn of events continued as Jake Boone took to the plate and ultimately flew out to Sleight in deep left field, leading to the third out.

In the bottom half of the second inning, after securing the first two outs, Noah Lucier smacked a base hit and J.R. DiSarcina followed with a double that sailed towards the left field side, positioning two New England runners in scoring position. This marked DiSarcina's eleventh double of the season. Shortly after, White delivered a two-run single up the middle, bringing the score to 3-2. The momentum continued when Calero blasted his first home run of the season, sending the ball 416 feet towards right field at a speed of 102 miles per hour off the bat. This impressive play propelled the Knockouts to take the first lead of the game.

In the top of the fourth, Oraj Anu smacked a magnificent, solo home run. This marked his twelfth home run of the season, and it soared an impressive 453 feet while leaving the bat at an astonishing speed of 103 miles per hour, leveling the game at four runs each in the third inning.

Hunter D'Amato hit a sharp single to the third base side, showcasing his speed and base-running skills by stealing second for his tenth stolen base of the season in the fifth. He then advanced to third on an error by Cristino. Despite the early defensive miscue, O'Sullivan displayed composure and focus, retiring both Gomez and Anu to end the inning.

Sleight hit his second home run of the season in the sixth inning when the ball traveled 375 feet for a solo homerun to right field. The Miners reclaimed the lead 5-4.

The Knockouts, in the sixth, put together a two-out rally. It all started when White drew a walk, followed up with his fifty-eighth stolen base of the year by swiping second. Calero then came through with a clutch opposite-field single to right, tying the game at five. He then stole second, notching his thirteenth stolen base of the year, and advanced to third on a balk. Unfortunately, the rally came to an end when Wold flied out to Sleight, putting an end to the inning.

Sussex County found themselves in a promising position in the eighth with the bases loaded and no outs. Knockouts relief pitcher Dan Goggin skillfully navigated through this high-pressure situation, managing to strike out Giordano and then inducing Jordan Smith to ground into a crucial double play. The Knockouts, energized and motivated by these defensive heroics, left the field with a renewed sense of determination.

The game went into extra innings. As per the standard rules for extra innings, a runner was placed on second as the ghost runner. The tension mounted as Gomez reached base on a fielder's choice, with an error by the first baseman Wold. The Miners had runners positioned on the corners, intensifying the pressure. Anu stepped up and delivered a RBI single to right field, propelling the Miners to a 6-5 lead. Stupienski then executed a sacrifice fly to Kretzler, expanding the lead to 7-5. Sleight's single to White resulted in a further advancement for the Miners, with Anu also moving to third due to an error by White. The drama continued as both runners seized an opportunity to advance on a wild pitch, contributing to an additional run for the Miners. Smith's line-out to DiSarcina at short led to a lightning-fast throw to second base, completing an impressive double play.

The Knockouts found themselves in a promising position with runners standing on the corners and nobody out in the eighth. That's when Kretzler stepped up to the plate and launched a monumental three-run homer into the bullpen in left field, leveling the game at eight apiece. The ball sailed an impressive 425 feet, marking Kretzler's third homer of the season. As the tension mounted in the game, the Knockouts managed to load the bases with two outs, providing a tantalizing opportunity to clinch the victory. However, Calero's at-bat concluded with a swinging strikeout, prolonging the game and pushing it into the eleventh inning.

In the eleventh inning, the Knockouts, playing as the home team, had to make a crucial decision on whether they wanted to pitch or bat. They chose to pitch and with a runner on first base, Ebel stepped up to the plate for the Miners. Ebel successfully grounded out to first base, allowing Smith to advance to second. However, Martin, the pitcher for the opposing team, managed to retire the next two hitters, ending the game and securing a hard-fought victory for New England.

For Sussex County, Anu led the Miners with a four-hit game, Stupienski had a two-hit game, and the trio of D'Amato, Gomez and Giordano different Miners had a hit. For New England, White had a three-hit game, while the trio of Lucier, DiSarcina and Calero had two hits and four different Knockouts had one hit apiece.

The Knockouts are officially done with the 2024 home schedule. They go on the road for the final six games, playing Quebec for three, and finishing the season with the Rockland Boulders.

Check out the New England Knockouts Statistics

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Frontier League Stories from August 25, 2024


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