Trenton, NJ - The Frederick Keys won their fifth straight game Thursday night against the Trenton Thunder, winning the series opener by a score of 5-3 at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
The Keys took their first lead of the night in the fourth inning and held on throughout, taking down the Thunder in the first game of a four-game road series in Trenton Thursday night.
The Thunder struck first with a three-run bottom of the first inning off a solo homer from Andy Blake and a two-RBI single, handing the home team an early 3-0 lead through just an inning of play.
Frederick answered back with two runs in the top of the second on a double steal that scored Christian Jackson, and an RBI single from Darryl Buggs (UAB), cutting the lead to just one going into the third at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
After each team went scoreless in the third, the Keys got their first lead of the night on a two-RBI single from Tremayne Cobb Jr. (Troy) in the top of the fourth, giving the visitors a 4-3 lead entering the fifth Thursday night.
Following both teams putting up zeros in the fourth, Gage Bihm recorded his second straight 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, allowing Frederick to remain ahead by one going into the sixth in the Garden State.
Cobb Jr. added another RBI to his tally on a two-out run scoring single in the top of the sixth, giving his team a two-run lead heading into the seventh, after an inning-ending double play retired the side in the bottom of the sixth with Frederick up 5-3.
In the seventh, neither side brought home any runs, but Cale Mathison (The Master’s) got a scoreless bottom of the seventh on the hill to keep it a 5-3 game approaching the eighth.
After Mathison recorded a 1-2-3 top of the eighth inning to take the game into the ninth with the Keys up two, Jay Allmer (Seton Hall) finished the job in the bottom of the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, securing the fifth straight win for the Keys by a score of 5-3 in Trenton.
The Keys and Thunder meet for the second time in as many days Friday night on the road, with first pitch from Trenton Thunder Ballpark set for 7 p.m. in game two of the four-game series.
