(Trenton, NJ) – It looked like the Thunder would waltz to another victory against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Thursday night at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. Playing before a crowd of 5,424, Trenton had a 4-0 lead going into the fifth, riding starter Dan Kiritsis for four brilliant innings in his most dominant performance of the season. However, the visitors changed the tune with a four-run fifth to tie the score before scratching across two more late runs to avoid the season sweep. With no more games remaining between the teams, the Thunder scratched their first opponent off the schedule with a 5-1 mark against Mahoning Valley before this weekend’s series in Frederick.
Kiritsis was a model of consistency, needing just 14 pitches to retire the side in both the first and second. The run support arrived in the bottom of the second when Gus Sosa and Jorge Bojorquez bounced back-to-back RBI singles after Christian Hall and John Cristino worked walks. The lead doubled in the third when Cristino doubled home a run off the wall in left and Sosa drove in his second with a sacrifice fly to right. Kiritsis departed after four innings, allowing just one baserunner when he plunked Brandon Rogers with two outs in the top of the third.
Ryan Figueroa needed just three outs to absorb the win in the fifth but was greeted rudely when the Scrappers sent all nine to the plate and tied the score with four runs on five singles. After that, he retired six of the next seven hitters he faced to keep the score tied going into the eighth. In a game where the Thunder stranded 12 runners on base, they wasted their first opportunity with two outs in the fifth when Hall doubled to dead center and Cristino followed with his second base hit.
Trenton then got the leadoff man aboard in the sixth and seventh but failed to capitalize, allowing the Scrappers to strike in the eighth with three straight hits off Alec Whaley. Reed Chumley’s double gave the Scrappers their first lead of the series, and they got one more in the ninth by taking advantage of three walks and three wild pitches from Justin Stewart.
In the eighth, Trenton’s final chance arrived with two outs when they loaded the bases on a walk and back-to-back hit batters. Scrappers southpaw Eli Ankeney ended the threat with a strikeout, and later returned with a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save and a 6-4 Mahoning Valley win.
The Thunder return home on Monday, July 4th to start a three-game series against the Williamsport Crosscutters at 7:00 PM. Celebrate 4th of July at Trenton Thunder Ballpark with a Postgame Fireworks Spectacular, presented by the Mercer County Improvement Authority! To purchase tickets, call (609)-394-3300, Opt 4 or visit trentonthunder.com.
New Jersey's Baseball Team | Big League Futures. Major League Fun.
The Trenton Thunder have drawn over 10 million fans over 28 years and have won the three major awards that Minor League Baseball teams can win; the Johnson Trophy for the “Nation's Best Franchise”, the Larry MacPhail Trophy for Outstanding Club Promotion, and the Bob Frietas Award for Long-Term Success, given by Baseball America. The team has given back over $7.5 million worth of goods, services, and monetary donations through Trenton Thunder Charities, under the Grand Slam We Care Foundation umbrella. The Thunder can be found online at trentonthunder.com, facebook.com/trentonthunder, twitter.com/trentonthunder, and on youtube.com/AATrentonThunder.
