*Photo courtesy of Mike Ashmore

Trenton continues the homestand on Friday night as the Fisher Cats come to town for the first of a four-game series.  Trenton came into play 8-3 against New Hampshrie in 2009 (Trenton’s best winning percentage against any other Eastern League team so far this season).  As for the game, it was an absolute snoozefest, no runs through the first 9.5  innings before Trenton finally broke through in the bottom of the 10th to take a 1-0 victory and get back to the .5o0 mark at 62-62.  Paul Bush (pictured) started the game and pitched four shutout innings before he gave way to the Thunder bullpen which was brilliant again with five shutout innings of their own.  Here are the highlights..

BOTTOM 10th – Finally someone breaks the scoreless streak as a pair of singles and a sac fly by Edwar Gonzlaez puts the Fisher Cats to bed.  Francisco Santana (who pinch ran for Pillittere) touched home to give Trenton a 1-0 walk off victory.
Edwar Gonzalez sac fly

…back with more tomorrow for game two.

*Photo courtesy of Mike Ashmore

We’re back for more from Waterfront Park on a gorgeous Thursday evening as Erie and Trenton conclude their three-game series. Erie got five shutout innings from Jared Gayhart and needed just a pair of third inning runs to defeat Trenton 2-0 and salvage the third game of the series.  Gayhart was not supposed to start the game as he had to come on in relief of the expected starter Pat Stanley, (pictured) who unexpectedly hurt himself warming up in the bottom of the first inning.  With the victory, Erie wins the season series over the Thunder four games to three.  Here are the highlights…

TOP 3rd – Tough break for Ryan Pope and the Thunder.  With runners on first and second and two outs, Deik Scram rolled one over towards second but first baseman Chris Malec ranged too far off the bag trying to field the ball and Scram beat him back for an infield single.  Cale Iorg scored all the way from second on the play to put Erie on top 1-0.  The next batter Brennan Boesch ripped an RBI single to left to plate Danny Worth and give Erie a 2-0 advantage.
Iorg scores on infield single
Brennan Boesch RBI single

The rain finally held off as Erie and Trenton picked things up from where they left off last night, with the Thunder leading 6-5 in the bottom of the 4th inning.  The Thunder needed some more late inning dramatics as they walked off with a 7-6 victory in the 10th inning of the completion of the suspended game.  In the regularly schedule game, Zach McAllister got the start and struck out a season high 11 batters in a 2-1 Thunder victory.  Humberto Sanchez also pitched two perfect innings to earn his first save of the season.  Here are the highlights…

TOP 8th – Max St. Pierre gets the job done with a solo home run off Kanekoa Texeira to tie the game at 6-6.
Max St. Pierre HR

BOTTOM 10th – Eduardo Nunez is the hero again.  His moonshot RBI single over the head of left fielder Deik Scram allowed Justin Snyder to score the winning run as the Thunder walk off with a 7-6 victory.
Nunez GW RBI single

GAME 2

BOTTOM 1st – P.J. Pillittere comes through with a two-out single to plate Austin Krum and give Trenton a 1-0 lead.
Pillittere RBI single

TOP 2nd – Erie comes right back with a Michael Bertram RBI double to score Danny Worth from first and tie the game at 1-1.
Michael Bertram RBI double

BOTTOM 2nd – Justin Snyder answers right back of an RBI double of his own.  Marcos Vechionacci scores all the way from first to vault Trenton back on top 2-1.
Snyder RBI double

*Photo courtesy of Mike Ashmore

Back to work as the Thunder begin a seven-game homestand starting with three against a Southern Division foe, the Erie Sea Wolves.  This is the first and only time Erie will grace the presence of Waterfront Park this season as the Sea Wolves took three-of-four from the Thunder at Jerry Uht Park in Erie, PA earlier this season.  As for game one, it was a slugfest early as Trenton held a 6-5 lead in the 4th inning before rain halted play which forced a suspension.   Jeremy Bleich (pictured) got the start for Trenton and was crusing through the first three inning before hitting a road block in the fourth.  The left-hander ended up going 3.2 innings and gave up eight hits and five runs (all earned) with two walks and five strikeouts.  Here are the highlights from the first four-plus innings of action…

BOTTOM 1st – Trenton exploded for four runs off six hits (all consecutive).  The big blow was a two-run double by James Cooper which made it 4-0.  Pillittere and Malec each had RBI hits as well.
Pillittere RBI single
Cooper RBI double

BOTTOM 3rd – Two more runs tacked on for Trenton as Edwar Gonzalez lines an RBI single off Deik Scram’s glove in left field which scored Chris Malec and put Trenton ahead 5-0.  Marcos Vechionacci drilled the next pitch over Scram’s head for an RBI double to plate Gonzo and put Trenton ahead 6-0.
Malec scores on E7
Vechionacci RBI double

TOP 4th – Trenton gets a taste of their own medicine as Erie explodes for five runs off six hits.  The big blow was a two-run double by Max St. Pierre.  Danny Worth and Casper Wells added RBI singles and Brennan Boesch tallies a sac fly to cut the Thunder lead to 6-5.
Max St. Pierre RBI double
Danny Worth RBI single
Casper Wells RBI single
Brennan Boesch sac fly

….I’ll be back with more later tonight after these two teams finish the suspended game and the 7-inning affair which will follow shortly thereafter.

Tonight’s game between Erie and Trenton has been SUSPENDED due to rain.  The game will resume on Wednesday night with Trenton leading 6-5 in the bottom of the 4th inning.  Stay tuned for highlights tomorrow after both games have been concluded.

I just wanted to let all of you faithful Thundercasters know that this will be my last week of podcasting for the Thunder (no, I did not get fired).  Infact, I got a brand spankin’ new full-time media relations/broadcasting  job for the Athletic Department of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.

Thanks again for tuning in this summer and I hope you enjoyed all of the blog has to offer.  If you want to get in touch with me for any reason feel free to do so at jsmitty228@gmail.com.

I will check the blog from time to time for comments and such but the last game that I will post highlights from will be this Sunday, August 23.

*Photo courtesy of Mike Ashmore

Rubber match of the three-game series between Reading and Trenton on a beautiful Thursday evening from Waterfront Park.  Trenton took a lead and never looked back as they defeat Reading 5-1 to win the series two-games-to-one.  Zach McAllister (pictured) got the start in his second appearance from being activated from the disabled list.  The right-hander showed progress from his arm fatigue as he pitched five shutout innings and gave up just three hits with no walks and three strikeouts.  McAllister (6-4) also earned the win (his first victory  since June 5th) as he lowered his Eastern Leauge leading ERA to 2.14.  Here are some of the highlights…

BOTTOM 5th – Justin Snyder breaks the scoreless tie as he rips an RBI single up the middle to plate Edwar Gonzalez to put the Thunder on top 1-0.  The next batter, Austin Krum, hit a sac fly to center which plated Marcos Vechionacci and extended Trenton’s lead to 2-0.
Snyder RBI single
Krum sac fly

TOP 6th – The Domonic Brown show continues.  The Phils’ top prospect turns on the jets and legs out a triple as the next batter Brian Stavisky grounded out to second to plate Brown and trim the Thunder lead to 2-1.
Matt Cusick RBI double

BOTTOM 7th – Matt Cusick with his first big-time hit in a Thunder uniform.  The recent Tampa callup slaps a two-out double down the right field line with the bases loaded to plate all three runs as the Thunder tack on some insurance and take a 5-1 lead.
Matt Cusick RBI double

…back with more on Monday as I enjoy a well deserved three-day weekend starting tomorrow, ahhhhhh.

*Photo courtesy of Mike Ashmore

**SORRY FOR THE LATE POST, WE HAD SOME INTERNET DIFFICULTIES LAST NIGHT THAT ARE FIXED NOW**

First game of a three-game series between Reading and Trenton tonight from a muggy, humid Waterfront Park.   Reading comes from behind with three runs in the top of the 8^th off reliever Grant Duff to win game one of the series 6-5.  The Thunder made a rally with two outs in the 9^th and scored two runs but were unable to get the game tying hit off R-Phils reliever B.J. Rosenberg who earned his first Double-A save.   Duff fell to 3-2 on the season as he gave up a season-high three earned runs in his appearance. Lance Pendleton (pictured) got the start for Trenton and the right-hander pitched significantly better than his first two starts.  Pendleton went six innings and gave up just one run off four hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

BOTTOM 1st – Austin Krum back in the lineup and it immediately pays dividends.  The leadoff man singled, then stole second and subsequently scored on an Eduardo Nunez RBI single to put Trenton on top 1-0.
Nunez RBI single

BOTTOM 4th – Richie Robnett laces a one-out triple into the right field corner.  After an Edwar Gonzlaez walk, Gonzo decided to swipe second and after he was successful, the ball skipped off the glove of shortstop Ozzie Chavez and into short right field.  The E6 allowed Robnett to score from third to give Trenton a 2-0 edge.
Robnett scores on error

BOTTOM 5th – Eduardo Nunez steals his second base of the night and advances to third on an E2.  Trenton now has a season-high four steals in the game as Chris Malec knocks home Nunez on a sac fly to put Trenton on top 3-0.
Malec sac fly

TOP 6th – Neil Sellers with a sac fly to right field to plate Michael Spidale and bring Reading to within 3-1.
Neil Sellers sac fly

TOP 8th – Scott Susdorf tallies his first career Double-A RBI with a bullet single to right field to plate Spidale again and trim Trenton’s lead to 3-2.  The next batter, Tim Kennelly, ripped an opposite field two-run double to right field which put the R-Phils on top 4-3.
Steve Susdorf RBI single
Tim Kennelly RBI double

BOTTOM 9^th – Trailing 6-3, Trenton mounted a rally as Brad Harman and Dominic Brown commit errors on a routein grounder to second base off the bat of Austin Krum.  James Cooper scored on the play to make the score 6-4.  Then, Matt Cusick singled home Krum and collected his first Double-A RBI to pull the Thunder within 6-5.  However, the rally would fall short from there as Chris Malec grounded out to end the game with the tying run at second base.
Cooper scores on pair of Reading errors
Cusick RBI single

…back with more tomorrow as these two teams play the middle game of the three-game series.

*Photo courtesy of Mike Ashmore

Final game of the four game series this afternoon between Trenton and Harrisburg on a dreary, overcast day at Waterfront Park.   Another pitcher’s duel as neither team could muster much offense.  Francisco Plasencia hit his first career Double-A home run in the top of the 11th inning as the Senators eek out a 2-1 victory to earn a series split.   Wilkin De La Rosa (pictured) got the start for Trenton today as the left-hander went six shutout innings and gave up three hits and four walks with five strikeouts.  Here are the highlights…

BOTTOM 2nd – A two-out rally for Trenton as James Cooper doubles and Edwar Gonzalez singles home Coop to give Trenton a 1-0 lead.
Gonzalez RBI single

TOP 7th – The Senators manufacture a run and tie the game.  After a leadoff single by Sean Rooney, Greg Veloz laid down a sac bunt to advance Rooney to second.  Two batters later, Freddie Bynum drilled an RBI single to center to plate Rooney and tie the game at 1-1.
Freddie Bynum

TOP 11th – Francisco Plasencia leads off the inning with a solo home run over the right field wall to break the tie and put Harrisburg on top 2-1.
Francisco Plasencia HR

…back with more on Tuesday as Trenton welcomes Reading to town for a three-game series.