Tim Bombard drives in 2 with a deep double to left in the first inning.
Grays 8
Goats 4
WP: Chris Bernacki
LP: Eddie Esposito
The Grays and Goats squared off Thursday evening at School Street Park. Chris Bernacki got the nod for the Grays; the Goats countered with Eddie Esposito.
The Grays jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first when Tim Bombard hammered a double deep to left to drive in Dave Rist and Jay Sadowski. But the Goats answered in their half, plating four runs off Grays' ace, Bernacki, to take a 4-2 lead.
Bernacki settled into a grove after the rocky first inning, allowing just 4 hits and a walk, holding the Goats scoreless the rest of the way. But the story of the night was Bombard, who doubled again in the third with the bases loaded, putting the Grays ahead for good and collecting 6 RBIs in the contest.
Dave Rist (2-3, 2 SB), Tim Sigda (2-3, 2 R), & Jay Sadowski (2-3, 2 R) set the table for Bombard's heroics. Tom Conway (2-3) and Josh Weiss (2-3) led the Goats.
Game photos courtesy of Stu Clark
Wonders 6
Plug Uglies 20
WP: Greg Elbaum
LP: Nabil Hannoush
It was a breezy and sunny evening at Herlihy Field as the Wonders took on the home team Plug Uglies. It was a righty match-up with Plug Ugly Greg "G-Bomb" Elbaum against the Wonders' Nabil Hannoush. For the first 3 innings G-Bomb held things down, allowing 4 hits and no runs against the Wonders bats, and adding to his scoreless inning streak (11). The Uglies got right to work scoring 4 in bottom of the 1st, with RBI hits from Jeff Whitehead and Eric "Noodles" Bennett. The Plugs scored 4 more in the bottom of the 3rd, including Mike Olkin and Nolan Anaya driving in a run each. 8-0 Uglies after 3 innings.
The Wonders finally got to Elbaum in the top of the 4th, with RBI hits from Jeff Jarvis, Mike Krezmien and Chris Ciepiela. When the dust settled the Wonders had scored 5 runs (3 earned), and were suddenly back in the game to the tune of 8-5. Ciepiela took the mound to relieve Hannoush for the bottom frame of the 4th.
Fortunes can turn quickly in TNB over 50 baseball, and the good feeling the Wonders had after scoring 5 didn't last long. The Uglies responded with 5 more runs in the bottom of the 4th, with Whitehead, Jeff Cabana, Olkin and Anaya leading the attack. The Uglies pulled ahead 13-5 and never looked back. The Wonders managed to drive another run home in the 5th with an RBI single by Andy Ayres, but their scoring ended there as lefties Whitehead and Bill Evans quieted the bats pitching in relief. The Uglies scored 6 in the 5th and 2 in the 6th, putting the game out of reach despite committing 6 errors (a season high).
Uglies players of the game were Jeff Whitehead (4-5, double, triple, 4 runs, 5 RBI) and Jeff Cabana (4-4, double, 3 runs, 4 RBI). Wonders players of the game were Chris Ciepiela (2-4, 1 RBI) and Scott Taylor (2-3, double, 1 run).
Game photos courtesy of Jeff Whitehead
Isotopes 13
Phillies 4
WP: Gary Webber
LP:
The Isotopes sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored 6 runs to take an 8-2 lead. 'Topes ace, Gary Webber took over from there, striking out 8 and limiting the Phils to 2 runs over the final six frames. On offense, Jonathan Zajac was 4-5 with a double and 4 runs scored while Webber helped his own cause, with a 4-5 night. Ken Sloat (2-3, R) and Paul Griswold (2-3, R) led the Phillies.