(Trenton, NJ) – Coming out of an off day and a 1-3 start to the season, the Trenton Thunder received the perfect homecoming in their 2022 debut at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. With a standing room only crowd of 7,357 on hand, the Thunder established an early tone with starting pitcher and LSU commit **Micah Bucknam **on the way to a rain-shortened 4-3 victory. The bottom of the lineup lit the fuse, and **Mason Hammonds **(Bossier Parish Community College) and **Edgardo Martinez **(Panola College commit) accounted for four hits and all three runs batted in.
Bucknam needed twenty pitches to get through the first because of a 10-pitch at bat against **Jack O’Reilly **that ended in a strikeout. In each of his next two innings, he picked up a strikeout and a walk while keeping the Crosscutters hitless. The run support arrived in the home second against Williamsport starter **Jacob Kush **(0-1), who unloaded a throwing error on a pickoff attempt and a wild pitch. The wild pitch allowed **Andrew Cossetti **(St. Joseph’s University) to score right before Hammonds snuck a single into left field for a 2-0 lead.
The Crosscutters didn’t secure their first hit until O’Reilly hit a one out single in the fourth. **Tayden Hall **followed with a walk that put the tying runs on, but Bucknam’s night ended brilliantly on a groundball to second baseman **Jeff Manto **(Palm Beach Atlantic University) that produced a double play.
In the fifth, the Thunder doubled the lead to 4-0 on RBI singles from Hammonds and Martinez. Despite leading 4-0, they stranded nine runners on base and were retired in order by **Derek Drees **in the sixth and seventh. With five strikeouts, the Crosscutters righthander kept them in the game, which changed in the eighth inning after three scoreless innings between **Alec Whaley **(1-0) and **Justin Stewart **(Pasco-Hernando State College).
Stewart retired the first four batters he faced before the floodgates and sky opened up. Starting at the top of the lineup with one out in the eighth, **Matthew Etzel **and **Josue Urdaneta **hit back-to-back doubles down the left field line for the first Williamsport run. The second run came across on a throwing error from catcher **Gus Sosa **(South Mountain Community College), who was trying to nab Urdaneta on a steal of third. O’Reilly worked a walk and Hall singled into right to put the tying runs on base and chase Stewart.
**Ashe Amerlaan **(Chipola College) got the next call and had to fight through the increasing rainfall in his Thunder debut. With back-to-back walks, the Crosscutters pushed another run across to make it 4-3 and keep the bases loaded with one out. Amerlaan went to 3-2 on the next two hitters, but was able to strike out **Maury Weaver **before pinch-hitter **Travis Holt **flied out to center to end the threat. Amerlaan was credited with the Thunder’s first save of the season after the rain forced the tarp on the field and an early call of the game before the bottom of the eighth inning.
Your Trenton Thunder continue their first homestand against the Williamsport Crosscutters with the first Tail Waggin’ Wednesday of the season on June 8 at 7:00 PM. Presented by NutriSource, we welcome well-behaved dogs to Trenton Thunder Ballpark and the first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a Dog Poster from White Eagle that celebrates our long line of Batdogs! 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" (2005), the Larry MacPhail Trophy for Outstanding Club Promotion (2003) and the Bob Frietas Award for Long-Term Success (1998, 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.
