Hagerstown Suns �11, �West Virginia Power �7 (box)
Three home runs by the Power were not enough to get them past the Suns today. �Two of the home runs, a solo shot by 1B Aaron Baker and a 2-run blast by RF Jose Hernandez came in the 2nd inning. �3B Jesus Brito had doubled right before Hernandez’s homer. �LF Rogelios Noris added a 3-run homer in the 6th, following a throwing error that put CF David Rubinstein on base and a single by Baker.
The Suns knocked starter Jhonatan Ramos around for 6 runs on 10 hits in 4 innings. �The top of the 1st began with two doubles and two singles before an out was recorded, for 2 runs. �The first out came when C Ramon Cabrera threw out a runner trying to steal second. �Another double brought in the third run of the inning. �A 3-run homer by the Suns in the top of the 2nd accounted for the other 3 runs. �Matt Williams gave up 2 singles in his two innings of work, but did not let any runs score.
The Power tied the game at 6-6 when Noris homered in the 6th. �The lead was very short-lived. �Duke Welker took the mound to begin the 7th, and he gave up 4 unearned runs when the infield committed three fielding errors — two by 2B Elevys Gonzalez and one by 3B Brito — and one throwing error by Welker.
The Power scored one more time in the bottom of the 7th. �Singles by SS Benji Gonzalez and Rubinstein, and a throwing error by the Suns’ third baseman loaded the bases. �A walk to Baker forced in the run. �The Suns got that run back in the 9th, with a double and a single off Marc Baca, who gave up 4 hits in his 2 innings of work.
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Williamsport Crosscutters �4, �State College Spikes �2 (box)
The Spikes lost their third game in a row to the Crosscutters, despite out-hitting them 9 to 5. �Spikes’ starter Brooks Pounders pitched 4 innings, and allowed one unearned run on 3 hits, no walks. �That run came in the 2nd inning, on two singles plus a throwing error by 2B Gift Ngoepe. Pounders worked around a single in each of the 3rd and 4th innings to finish his outing. �He was charged with the loss.
Zach Fuesser pitched the next 3 innings, and he was responsible for the next two Williamsport runs. �A walk, a balk, and aggressive base running on a sacrifice fly brought in a one run. �Another walk, a single, and a throwing error by 3B Chase Lyles gave Williamsport another unearned run. �Australian native Jarryd Sullivan made his US debut by pitching the 8th inning for the Spikes. �He gave up a run on two walks and a double.
DH Kelson Brown led the Spikes’ offense with a 3-hit game. �He singled in the 2nd, but was out at third in a force play, and singled in the 9th, but was erased in a double play. �Brown had the middle hit in three consecutive singles in the Spikes’ 7th inning rally. �3B Andy Vasquez, Brown, and C Matthew Skirving all singled, bringing in Vasquez. �Brown scored on 1B Gerlis Rodriguez’s RBI ground out. �Gift Ngoepe had 2 singles in the game — one to lead off the 3rd, followed by his third stolen base of the season, and one in the 8th. �CF Justin Bencsko collected the Spikes’ only extra-base hit, a double in the 1st inning.
