TRENTON, NJ - The Frederick Keys earned their first road victory Friday night over the Trenton Thunder, winning the series opener 2-1 at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
Led by 11 strikeouts from the Keys pitching staff, the Keys recorded their second straight win following Thursday night’s defeat over West Virginia and will look for a third straight win Saturday night in the second of three games in Trenton.
Both teams went scoreless in the first two innings of play as Jake Hunter (East Carolina) finished each of the first two innings on the hill with a strikeout, keeping it a scoreless ballgame heading into the third at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
Frederick scored the game’s first run on an RBI sacrifice fly from Jose Silva (International Baseball Academy) in the top of the fourth, handing the Keys a 1-0 lead through four innings of play, after another scoreless frame from Hunter on the mound.
Eddie Hacopian (Maryland) brought home another run on an RBI groundout to second, extending the Keys lead to 2-0 halfway through the contest Friday night.
The Thunder responded in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single to right, but Daniel Brooks (Charleston) held Trenton to one run in the frame, taking the contest into the sixth with Frederick ahead 2-1.
After each side went scoreless in the sixth, the Keys turned a double play from right field to keep themselves ahead by one entering the eighth in the series opener.
Luke Delongchamp (Bryant) recorded a scoreless top of the eighth, as Frederick and Trenton entered the ninth with the visitors still ahead by one in Trenton.
Following a scoreless top of the ninth, the Keys infield turned a game-ending double play to finish the job, handing the Keys the one-run victory Friday night on the road.
The Keys and Thunder square off for the second time in as many days Saturday night, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
