LAKEWOOD, NJ – A day after clinching the first half title and a spot in the 2009 South Atlantic League Playoffs, the Lakewood BlueClaws win another game as they had been all season long, 2-1 in ten innings. With the bases loaded in the tenth, Zach Collier was hit with a pitch, bringing in the game-winning run.
In search of his tenth win of the season, Jon Velasquez took a no-decision as he battled in a pitchers’ duel with Captains starter Danny Salazar. Each starter only allowed one run, the run allowed by Salazar was unearned.
The Captains (30-35) got on the board first in the second inning as Adam Abraham walked with two outs before Chris Nash hit the ball high into center field. D’Arby Myers got a late break on the ball and it hit off his glove in an attempt to dive and make the catch, scoring Abraham on the play.
The BlueClaws (41-25) answered in the fifth with a run of their own as they loaded the bases with no outs and only managed one run on an RBI-groundout by Steve Susdorf, scoring Brendan Akashian.
In the tenth, the BlueClaws loaded the bases with walks against Anillins Martinez, before a bases-loaded hit by pitch to Zach Collier scored the winning run from third.
Velasquez went six innings, working out of trouble in the sixth, striking out Abraham with the bases loaded to keep the game tied. He allowed three hits and struck out four. He was relieved by Santo Hernandez who worked three shutout innings in relief and exited in the ninth in favor of Rob Roth. Roth (2-1) picked up the win as he worked out of loading the bases in the tenth.
Salazar, after two six run outings, did not allow an earned run in five innings, as he scattered seven hits while striking out four. He was relieved by David Roberts who three scoreless innings as well in relief of Salazar. Martinez (1-3) came on in the ninth and picked up the loss in the tenth.
Alan Schoenberger doubled in the fifth inning for his first hit of the season.
The BlueClaws and Captains will play game two and three of the four-game series on Saturday at 1:05 pm and 7:05 pm. Both games of the split doubleheader will be seven innings. The game one starters will be Tyler Cloyd (7-3) for the BlueClaws and righty Alexander Perez (5-2) for the Captains. Making his second start of the season in game two will be Trevor May (0-0) for the BlueClaws and lefty TJ McFarland (2-3).