West Virginia Power �7, �Hagerstown Suns �5 (box)
The Power’s two homers were not back-to-back, but they both came in the 6th inning, to give the Power the go-ahead runs.
Both teams scored 2 runs in the 4th inning. �Hagerstown led off the inning with a double and a 2-run homer off starter Jason Erickson. �Those were the only two runs Erickson would allow, and he did it on 5 hits and a walk, with one strikeout. �The Power came back in the bottom of the frame. �2B Jarek Cunningham led off with a triple. �RF David Rubinstein was hit by a pitch, but was picked off first base. �A single by 1B Aaron Baker brought in Cunningham, and a ground-rule double by C Ramon Cabrera put two runners into scoring position. �A walk to 3B Jesus Brito loaded the bases, and when the Suns’ third baseman missed the catch on a pick-off throw, Baker scored to tie the game at 2-2.
Matt Williams took over for Erickson to begin the 6th inning. �Williams gave up 3 runs on a triple an a sacrifice fly, then four consecutive singles. � Once again, the Power answered back in the bottom of the inning. �Ramon Cabrera walked, then LF Jose Hernandez knocked a 2-run homer. �After a pitching change, Jesus Brito also walked, and CF Evan Chambers brought him in with another 2-run homer, giving the Power a 6-5 lead. �They added one more insurance run in the 8th, on doubles by Brito and DH Kyle Morgan.
Marc Baca earned his 3rd save of the season with 2 scoreless innings to finish the game for the Power. �Baca loaded the bases with no outs on a walk and two singles in the 8th, but got out of the jam with two strikeouts and a ground out. �He also gave up a walk to lead off the 9th, but worked around it to get out of the inning.
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Trenton Thunder �8, �Altoona Curve �4 (box)
Unfortunately, the home runs did not help the Curve enough. �CF�Gorkys Hernandez got the game started with a solo home run in the top of the 1st for the Curve. �The Thunder came back with a run in the bottom of the inning, on a hit batter, a wild pitch, a walk, and a sacrifice fly.
The Thunder continued to hit Curve starter Bryan Morris in the 2nd inning. �A walk and three singles drove in one run. �With the bases loaded, a grounder to first turned into a force out at the plate. �Then a passed ball by C Kris Watts allowed another run to score. �A walk loaded the bases yet again, though this time Morris was able to get the third out and leave all three runners stranded.
Two more runs came across the plate in the 4th inning, when Morris gave up two singles, a ground-rule double for one run, and an RBI ground out for the second run. �With two outs in the 5th, Morris surrendered two singles, a wild pitch, and a 3-run home run. �That gave the Thunder an 8-1 lead, with Morris responsible for all 8 runs on 10 hits and 3 walks, with 5 strikeouts.
Tony Watson pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one walk. �Danny Moskos gave up a 2-out single in the 8th inning, but ended the inning with a grounder force out.
The Curve scored their other 3 runs in the top of the 6th. �LF Anthony Norman and SS Chase d’Arnaud led off with back-to-back singles. �3B Josh Harrison homered over the left field wall, bringing the score to 8-4. �That was all the Curve could do, though. �The only batter to reach base over the last 3 innings was DH Shelby Ford on a single in the 7th.
