(Pittsfield, Ma) In a top 3 battle between the Suns and Rox, the two compete to keep pace with Vermont. Headlining the showdown are Kyle Roshe and Ryan Bruning.
The first run would be scored in favor of the Brockton Rox. Luca Danos led off the game with a single and scored with the next hit. Jacob Studley doubled off the wall which allowed Danos to score.
Both teams were able to score in the 3rd inning. The Rox first extending their lead to 2-0 as two lead off walks and a wild pitch bring home Alex Reynolds. The Suns responded with their own base running. With Nate Cormier on first and Brendan Jones on 3rd, Cormier steals second which drew the throw. Jones then capitalized and took home uncontested to make the game 2-1 Brockton. Bruning would go 2 more, finishing with 5 complete innings for the Rox. He allowed 4 hits, 1 earned run, 4 walks and 3 strikeouts. Brady Afthim was the first call to the bullpen.
It would be against Afthim that the Suns take the lead for the first time. In the bottom of the 6th the inning was started with two singles for Jake Blindstrub and Cabot Maher. Mike Khoury then singled for himself before a bases clearing double from Cole Wojtkowski made it 4-2. Wojtkowski advanced to 3rd and would be driven in with a Brendan Jones single.
Afthim and Roshe would be done after 6 full frames. Roshe having a quality start where he went 6 full innings giving up 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 4 walks and 6 strikeouts. Afthim goes 1 inning where he allowed 5 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.
The Suns would strike again for a few runs in the 7th inning. Mike Khoury walked with two outs and a slump ending RBI triple for Joel Lara brought him in. Lara then scored on the 2nd double of the day for Cole Wojtkowski. They led 7-2 after 7 full. The Suns go to the bullpen after 1 inning from Tyghe Healy who would tally 1 walk and 1 strikeout in his inning. Ryan LaPierre was his replacement.
The Rox would respond in the top of the 8th as Ben Rounds hits a 2-run home run to bring in Michael Golankiewicz. The game then stood at 7-4. For the bottom of the 8th the Rox would replace Holden Ferrari. It would be 2 hits, 2 earned runs and 1 walk in his inning of work.
Michael Kilker threw a scoreless 2 strikeout bottom of the 8th before Cabot Maher was brought onto the mound to close the game. He would walk two batters but still closed the win out for the Suns 7-4 vs the Rox.
Gaining a game on the Rox in the standings are the Suns as they start the weekend off right. It will be a Sunday doubleheader for Pittsfield as they will face the Norwich Sea Unicorns starting at 4:05pm.
Samuel St. Jean
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