Frederick, MD- In the team’s home opener for the 2024 season, the Frederick Keys fell to the Trenton Thunder 11-1 Tuesday night at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
The Keys scored the first run of the game but could not hang onto the lead as the Thunder scored the last nine runs of the night to take the first game of the series on the road in Frederick.
Following a scoreless top of the first from Grant Richars (Southwestern Illinois), Frederick struck first on an RBI single from Daylan Pena (Texas State) to make it 1-0 in the bottom of the first, putting the home team out in front by a run heading into the second.
After each team went scoreless in the second inning, the Thunder plated home three runs in the top of the third, with the frame being capped off by a two-run homer from Rintaro Sasaki, making it a 3-1 lead for Trenton three innings in.
An RBI double from Matt Quintear made it 4-1 in favor of the Thunder, but Joe Zhu (Minnesota West CC) kept it at a three-run game after he retired the last two batters he faced in the frame.
Following each team going scoreless in the fifth, the Thunder plated home five runs to take a commanding 9-1 lead, which they would hold onto going into the seventh at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Cooper Foster (Central Arizona) picked up a scoreless top of the seventh and eighth inning of work, keeping his team in the game in the later innings, but the Keys went scoreless in the bottom of the seventh and eighth, taking the contest into the ninth with the Keys down by eight at home.
The Thunder tacked on two more runs on an RBI single and an error to bump up the lead up to 11-1, but Foster finished the outing strong with a strikeout, taking the game into the bottom of the ninth with Trenton ahead by 10.
Despite two runners reaching on base hits for the Keys, the Thunder held Frederick scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to finish off the night, winning by a score of 11-1 in the series opener Tuesday night.
The Keys continue their six-game homestand Wednesday night against the Trenton Thunder with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
It will be the first Bark in the Park night presented by Dogtopia, in which dogs will have an opportunity to participate in a pregame dog parade and a postgame owner and dog run the bases. The magnet schedules will also be available for giveaway, which are sponsored by United Service Specialists.
