Tornadoes Take a Bite out of T-Bones
August 11, 2012 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release
With heavy showers all day Friday and early Saturday it looked like the Tornadoes and T-Bones might never get in the final two games of the their series. Worcester took advantage though when the weather finally relented, with a pair of 8-1 victories over Kansas City behind strong pitching performances Saturday night at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.
Mike Gedman and Dan Sausville each threw complete games allowing just one run and the Tornadoes offense broke out for 16 runs over 14 innings. Gedman shut down the T-Bones giving up just five hits, one walk and one run, while striking out four for the first complete game of his career. Sausville was just as good, recording four strikeouts while scattering six hits and one run in his third complete game of the year, all in doubleheaders.
The Tornadoes newest addition, Jimmy Best, had a huge debut for Worcester with four RBI and two hits in six at bats. Best crushed a two-run double as part of the Tornadoes seven-run sixth inning in Game One and blasted a two-run home run just over the fence in the third inning of Game Two. Worcester signed the 2012 George Washington graduate Saturday and he started at designated hitter and hit seventh in each game.
Center fielder Jerod Edmondson also had a big day, finishing 5-for-8 with with two doubles, a home run and three runs scored. The Tornadoes leadoff hitter knotched his 14th home run of the season in Game One, to bring him to 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases in his quest to become the first ever CanAm League player to record a 20-20 season.
Chris Torres and Brendon Kelliher each added multi-run home runs in Game Two to help the Tornadoes grab an 8-0 lead after three innings against the T-Bones starter Josh Rainwater. Torres hit a three-run homer just over the left field fence on a breaking ball to give Worcester a 4-0 lead in the first. Kelliher made it 6-0 later in Game Two when he crushed a home run to center field for his second homer of the 2012 campaign.
Game One had all the makings of a pitcher's duel before the Tornadoes tied their season-high with seven runs in their final at-bat.
Shaun Marceau allowed a single run in the first on an RBI groundout from Brendon Kelliher before trading zero's with Gedman through the first five innings.
With the score tied 1-1 in the sixth, the T-Bones defense committed two costly errors and the flood gates came wide open. Ryan Brockett reached on an error, stole second and moved over to third base with one out on a Kelliher sacrifice bunt. After Garceau walked Torres, Alex Nunez put down a safety squeeze that went horribly wrong for the T-Bones.
After Garceau walked Torres, Alex Nunez put down a safety squeeze that went horribly wrong for the T-Bones. Garceau fielded it with plenty of time to get Brockett going home but threw the ball wildly to the backstop to score Brockett and allow Torres to reach third. Cam Kneeland plated Torres with a single to make it 3-1 and came all the way home alongside Nunez on Best's first career-hit, a double into the right-field corner. Tony Patane followed with a sacrifice fly to score Best and after Matt Jacobs singled, Jerod Edmondson capped the scoring with a two-run homer to make it 8-1 after six.
Game Two didn't provide anywhere near as much drama, as Worcester continued their offensive outburst against the new T-Bones starter.
The first three batters reached base in the bottom of the first for the Tornadoes and with a 1-0 lead already, Torres hit a hanging curveball over the left field fence to make it 4-0 Worcester. For Torres, it was his first three-RBI game of the season, and just his third multi-RBI game of the year and second in three days.
Kelliher made it 6-0 after two when he crushed his home run that plated Brockett who had singled with one out. An inning later, Best knocked a Rainwater pitch out of the park for his first career home run that scored Alex Nunez as well.
With a huge early lead and his best stuff available, Sausville mowed down the T-Bones on just 96 pitches. The Tornadoes starter faced four or fewer batters in six of his seven innings thanks to his defense who turned three double plays. The right-hander earned his team-high fifth victory of the year and has given up just three earned runs in 15 innings in his last two starts (2-0).
Worcester will have a rare Sunday off-day before taking on the Newark Bears for a four-game set. Tickets are still available for every game of the series if you call 508-792-2288 between 9 and 3 Monday through Friday, go to http://wt1.glitnirticketing.com/wtticket/web/ev_list.php or come to our office located at 303 Main Street, Worcester, MA.
Canadian American League Stories from August 11, 2012
- Rockland Beats New Jersey 4-2 - New York Boulders
- Millender's Inside-The-Park Home Run Helps Boulders To 4-2 Victory - New Jersey Jackals
- Tornadoes Take a Bite out of T-Bones - Worcester Tornadoes
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