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EL1 Trenton Thunder

Trenton splits DH

June 27, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Trenton Thunder News Release


(Trenton, NJ)- Trenton and Reading split a doubleheader from Waterfront Park on Saturday night as the largest crowd of the season (7,768) came out to witness game two. Game one of the doubleheader was a completion of Friday night's suspended game.

In game one of the doubleheader, first baseman Jorge Vazquez hit his 10th home run of the season as Trenton cruised to an 8-2 victory. Vazquez recorded the first four-hit game of his career and went 4 x 4 with three RBI. Trenton and Reading resumed the game in the bottom of the 2nd inning with the Thunder on top 1-0. The game was suspended from Friday night due to rain. Eduardo Nunez gave Trenton a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning before the game was called with an RBI groundout that scored Austin Krum from third base.

When the game continued on Saturday afternoon, Reading took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 3rd inning off Thunder reliever Josh Schmidt (6-1). The right-hander allowed the first three men he faced to reach safely. After Kevin Mahar singled to lead off the inning, Brad Harman tripled into the right-centerfield gap which scored Mahar and tied the game at 1-1. During the next at bat, Harman was able to score on a wild pitch which gave Reading a 2-1 lead.

The score would stay the same until the bottom of the 6th when Trenton exploded for four runs. Reegie Corona led off the inning with a walk which was followed by an Eduardo Nunez RBI double. The next batter, Vazquez, sent a towering two-run home run off the scoreboard in left-centerfield to give the Thunder a 4-2 lead. After Jesus Montero flew out to left field, Noah Hall ripped a double and eventually scored on an Edwar Gonzalez RBI single to score the final run of the inning and put Trenton ahead 5-2.

After a 1-2-3 inning for Mike Dunn in the top of the 7th, the Thunder scored three more runs in the bottom half of the inning. With two on and one out, Vazquez recorded his third RBI of the game, a single to right field that plated Corona and put Trenton ahead 6-2. The next batter Montero laced a double off the wall in left field that allowed two more runners to score and made the score 8-2 in favor of the Thunder. Schmidt pitched four innings and gave up three hits and two runs to earn his team leading sixth victory of the season.

Game two featured Jason Johnson's (0-1) first appearance in a Thunder uniform. The veteran right-hander had pitched for the Yankees organization earlier in 2009 as he made four appearances for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) in April. Johnson got off to a rough start as the first five men of the game reached base safely. Reading went on to score four runs in the inning to take a 4-0 lead before Trenton came to the plate. Reading tacked on two more runs in the top of the 3rd inning as Jeremy Slayden hit his third home run of the season, a two-shot of Johnson to give Reading a 6-0 lead. Trenton got on the board in the bottom of the 4th when Richie Robnett tallied his first RBI of the season, a double which plated Chris Malec and pulled Trenton to within 6-1. The next batter Kyle Anson hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield which plated Edwar Gonzalez and made the score 6-2. Reading would tack on an insurance run in the top of the 7th when Neil Sellers hit a sacrifice fly to right field which scored Michael Taylor and gave Reading a 7-2 lead.

Trenton and Reading continue its four-game series from Waterfront Park on Sunday night with the Thunder's starter still to be determined. RHP Mike Stutes (4-4, 4.65) will start for Reading. Game time is set for 6:05 p.m.

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