FREDERICK, MD – The Frederick Keys rallied from two runs down heading into the bottom of the eighth and won a sudden-death thriller against the Trenton Thunder Friday night by a score of 5-5 in the tiebreaker at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Led by a walk-off base hit from Truitt Madonna (Ballard High School), the Keys earned the come-from-behind win in the first of two games against the Thunder, and now look ahead to the final game of the first half Saturday night at home.
Following a scoreless first inning for both sides, Trenton brought home the game’s first run on a double steal, but Lance Trippel (South Florida) answered in the bottom of the second with an RBI single, evening things up at one apiece through two innings in the first of two games.
The Thunder added two more runs in the top of the third courtesy of an RBI single and RBI double, making it a 3-1 game entering the fourth inning at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Jake Hunter (East Carolina) got a 1-2-3 top of the fourth inning on the hill in quick fashion, and RBI doubles from Madonna and Trey Lipsey (Ohio State) handed the Keys the tie at 3-3 going into the fifth in the Key City.
Two more runs for the visitors handed Trenton a 5-3 lead following two RBI doubles, making it a 5-3 game in favor of Trenton approaching the sixth in Frederick.
After each team went scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings at Nymeo Field, Jack Bowery (Northeastern) threw a third straight scoreless inning in the top of the eighth to keep it a 5-3 game through seven and a half innings of play.
Frederick came back to tie it in the bottom of the eighth off an RBI double from Anthony Diaz (College of Central Florida) and an RBI single from Tervell Johnson (Seattle), taking the contest to the ninth all tied at five apiece Friday night.
Following a scoreless top of the ninth thrown by Davis Smith (Georgia Southern), the Keys went off the board in the bottom of the frame, setting the stage for sudden death all tied at five in Frederick.
Madonna won the game with one mighty swing to left center field on the first pitch he saw in the at-bat, securing the come-from-behind win Friday night in the tiebreaker against Trenton.
The Keys conclude the first half of the season Saturday night in the second game of the two-game series of the first half, with first pitch from Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium set for 6 p.m.
Saturday’s game represents the Keys’s annual Scout Night at the ballpark courtesy of Wegmans, meaning that scouts will take part in a sleepover on the field with a postgame movie to watch. There will be a Postgame Fireworks Super Show courtesy of Wegmans and the Frederick County Board of Elections.
