Tornadoes Use Late Inning Theatrics to Earn Sweep

July 29, 2012 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release


After a woeful beginning of July, the Tornadoes are trying their hardest to end the month with a bang.

Worcester swept both ends of their doubleheader against the Rockland Boulders with two thrilling late-game victories at Hanover Insurance Park. Jerod Edmondson ended Game One with a walk-off, infield single to make it 6-5 and Tony Patane hit a game-winning home run in the fifth inning of Game Two in the 3-2 victory for the Tornadoes first doubleheader sweep of the season.

Edmondson was one of the biggest stars of the day with two hits and three RBI in seven at-bats during the seven inning games. Patane was just as vital, finishing with three hits, a run and an RBI while having a fantastic day defensively at second base. UMass Lowell teammates Cam Kneeland and new addition Matt Jacobs also had good days, with Kneeland finishing 2-for-6 and Jacobs going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

Tornadoes closer Nick Serino earned a victory and a save for Worcester. Serino struck out two batters in a perfect seventh in Game One with the score tied, and earned his seventh save of the season by striking out two more batters and getting Chris Valencia to fly out to right field in the seventh of Game Two.

In Game One, the Tornadoes jumped out to two separate leads, before having to rally from a late deficit to take the win.

The Tornadoes jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning on RBI singles from Mike Gedman, making a rare appearances as the designated hitter, and Jacobs in his first professional appearances.

After Rockland evened the score at two in the top half of the second, Worcester jumped back on top 4-2 in the fourth. With two runners on and no outs, Cameron Monger hit a deep fly ball to the wall in left that Keith Brachold couldn't handle and allowed Patane and Monger to take two base. Edmondson followed with a groundout to shortstop to score Patane and make it 4-2.

Rockland finally got to Kevin Cooper (six innings, five runs, three earned on three hits) in the fifth. With the bases loaded and just one out, Keith Brachold was hit by a pitch that plated Billy Alvino and Phillip Cuadrado followed it up with a two-run single to give the Boulders a 5-4 lead.

Worcester responded right away in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at five. Gedman doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on an Alex Nunez groundout, before easily trotting home on a single from Kneeland.

The Tornadoes finally put the game away in the seventh behind more theatrics from the former RiverHawks and Edmondson. Kneeland laced a single to right to lead off the inning and Jacobs followed with a walk to put runners on first and second. Tony Patane followed with a groundout to shortstop for the first out that put runners on first and third base. After Cameron Monger struck out, Edmondson trickled a grounder up the middle that Pinckney had no play on as Kneeland celebrated at home plate.

Game Two threatened to take a different route, as Keith Brachold hit his league-leading 21st home run of the season in the first inning off of Walker McKinven to make it 1-0 Rockland after one. To make things more difficult the Tornadoes had to face off against Jonathan Velasquez who had one of his best starts of the year.

Velasquez retired the first seven batters he faced before allowing his one and only big inning in the third. Two of the first three Tornadoes reached on walks (Jacobs and Monger) In the inning and Worcester made the Boulders starter pay. Edmondson followed up with a single to center field to plate Jacobs and Ryan Brockett followed with a sacrifice fly that was just deep enough to score the speedy Monger.

Rockland evened the score in the fourth against McKinven on an RBI single with two outs, but the rally was extinguished when Edmondson's throw beat Ryan Scoma to third base who was just trying to take two bases on the play. McKinven had his best outing of the year going five innings allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out three.

Patane put the Tornadoes back on top in the fifth when he took the first pitch he saw from Velasquez over the left field fence to give Worcester a 3-2 lead. Velasquez finished his night with three earned runs on four hits over six innings of work.

After taking the lead in the bottom of the fifth, Matt McDonald (one inning, one hit and one strikeout) and Serino shut the door on Rockland to earn their first two-game winning streak at home since June 23rd.

The Tornadoes will continue their homestand Monday night when they begin a four-game set against the New Jersey Jackals at 7:05 p.m.



Canadian American League Stories from July 29, 2012


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