TRENTON, NJ – The Frederick Keys began their season-long eight game road trip strong with a series opening win against the Trenton Thunder Tuesday night, winning by a score of 4-1 at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
The Keys scored two runs in the top of the first and held on to the lead the rest of the night and will look for another series clinching win Wednesday night in the Garden State in game two of three.
Frederick started out fast in the top of the first with two runs off RBIs from Isaiah Greene and Irvin Escobar (Bethune-Cookman) and kept a 2-0 lead through one inning of play courtesy of a 1-2-3 bottom of the first from Jake Hunter (East Carolina) on the mound.
The Thunder got one run back in the bottom of the second to make it a 2-1 game, but Hunter kept them further off the board as the Keys went into the third leading by one in the series opener.
After both teams went off the board in the third and fourth innings, the Keys added two more runs in the top of the fifth off an RBI triple from Trey Lipsey (Ohio State) and an RBI sacrifice fly from Ethan Ott (New Mexico), and Hunter kept the Thunder off the board with him getting out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the frame.
With the Keys leading 4-1 heading into the sixth, Hunter and Blake Donnan (Bellarmine) combined to throw a scoreless bottom of the sixth, as Frederick entered the seventh still leading by three at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
Following a scoreless seventh inning on both sides, Aaron Calhoun (Texas Arlington) threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth, taking the contest into the ninth with the visitors in Frederick still leading 4-1.
In the bottom of the ninth, Calhoun got a scoreless last frame to seal the win for the Keys, winning the opener at Trenton Thunder Ballpark by a score of 4-1.
The Keys and Thunder continue the three-game series Wednesday night, with first pitch set for 7 p.m. at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
