The top three teams win, the next two suffer bullpen losses, and Pulaski are blown out, but Wesley Stone, the Jays top high school pick this year, has a nice first start, including his first pro tater.
Ottawa 3 Syracuse 8
The Chiefs scored early and often to make life easier for starter Josue Matos. The Chiefs scored four in the first, Bryant Nelson singled, Kevin Barker walked, and Chad Mottola singled to load the bases. John-Ford Griffin doubled two runs home, another scored on a ground out and Julius Matos singled home the fourth run of the inning. Syracuse added another run in the second on a double by Anton French and another single by Nelson. With two on in the sixth the same guys tacked on 3 more runs, French singled to drive in one, Nelson walked, and Barker singled in two more.
Matos went five, giving up one run on three hits. Brandon League, making another good appearance from the bullpen, allowed one run on one hit in two innings. Jason Arnold pitched the last two, one home run on his record.
Anton French went 2-5 with two runs and an RBI. Nelson was 2-3, with a walk, a run, and an RBI. Kevin Barker went 3-3 with a run and two RBI's, raising his average to .400. Game StoryNew Hampshire 3 Bowie 1
Jason Grimsley, on a rehab assignment, started for Bowie and pitched one inning. With Grimsley gone New Hampshire manufactured two runs in the second, Rob Cosby led off with a double and two walks, two wild pitches and a ground out later it was 2-0 Cats. Jamie Vermilyea made a spot start in Vince Perkins spot, Dustin McGowan will start on Wednesday. Vermilyea was excellent, five shutout innings, five hits and one walk allowed. Tracey Thorpe came on for the sixth and seventh and allowed one run on a home run. Jesse Carlson and Lee Gronkiewicz pitched a scoreless inning each. Cosby was the hitting star on the day, he hit a home run in the ninth and was 3-4 in the game, Clint Johnston had the only other hit for the Fisher Cats as they were outhit 6 to 4.
Game StoryFort Myers 4 Dunedin 7
David Purcey started and was pulled for an unknown reason after three innings. Purcey faced 15 hitters and had six strikeouts in three innings so it is possible that Purcey hit his pitch count limit. Fort Myers scored twice off Purcey, one a home run. David Romero pitched two plus innings, allowing two runs, Brian Reed went 3 scoreless to get the win.
Eric Arnold and Adam Lind provided the early spark, Dunedin scored a run in the first on a single by Lind and a double by Arnold. In the fourth Arnold doubled and Tim Whittaker singled him in. In the fifth Lind doubled and Arnold hit a home run. Whittaker and Brian Patrick each drove in a run in the seventh.
Arnold was 3-5, 2 runs, 3 ribbies and his average is up to .306. Lind also went 3-5 and at .299 is close to getting back over .300. Patrick also had 3 hits.
Lansing 6 West Michigan 7 - 10 innings
Jordy Templet came into the game to start the eighth with a 6-5 lead. He allowed Michigan to tie the game with three hits in the eighth, escaped the ninth with a double and a walk, but in the tenth gave up three straight singles with two out to lose the game. His line was ugly, 3.1 IP, 7 hits a walk and two runs. Jordan Timm started and gave up 4 runs in 3.2 innings, Juan Perez kept it close with one run on one hit in 3.2 innings.
Lansing scored in bunches, 3 in the second, on 4 singles, and 3 more in the seventh, on 3 hits and 2 walks. Lansing tallied nine hits so the offense was definitely bunched in those two innings. Christian Snavely and Aaron Mathews had two hits each.
Game StoryMahoning Valley 3 Auburn 2
Adrian Martin dodged a lot of trouble by giving up eight hits, but only one run, in 4.2 innings. Gabriel Alfaro had no such luck, taking a tough loss for the Doubledays. Auburn took a 2-1 lead into the eighth and Alfaro who had pitched well in his first two appearances, came on to seal the deal. He pitched a perfect eighth but gave up two runs on four hits in the ninth. It was a tough loss for Auburn who have not started well. Auburn scored a run on three hits in the first and another on two doubles in the sixth. Ryan Patterson and Josh Bell had the doubles, their only hits of the night.
Princeton 9 Pulaski 3
No pitching and no hitting make it tough to win. Francisco Mateo allowed four runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings, Dennis Bigley followed and in 1.2 innings gave up two runs. Ben Harrison was no better, three runs in 1.2 innings. The only survivor was Cory Hahn 1.1 shutout innings. The offense tallied six hits, Wesley Stone, the Jays highest drafted high schooler this year, in the 11th round, made his first start and hit a jack, going 2-3 with a sac fly.
Your Three Star Selection
Third star - Bryant Nelson, invloved in the scoring all day
Second Star - Rob Cosby, THE offense for New Hampshire
First Star - Eric Arnold, 3-5
Standings Update
Syracuse record is 39-38. The Chiefs are tied for third, nine games back of Buffalo.
The Fisher Cats are 39-36, and are in third place, two games back of Trenton.
Dunedin's have started the second half at 5-0 good for first place, one and a half games ahead of Fort Myers.
The Lugnuts started their second half 3-1, and are tied for first place.
Auburn are 2-4, in fourth place, two games behind Jamestown.
Pulaski are 1-5, tied for fourth place, four games behind Danville.
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