South Jersey Baseball:
Thunder Get Strong Pitching in 6-1 Win

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

By Dan Loney
Trenton Thunder Director of Broadcasting

Ramon Ramirez and Matt Smith combined on a six-hitter as Trenton beat New Hampshire, 6-1, on Tuesday night.

Ramirez held New Hampshire(39-37) to three hits over the first six innings, before finally allowing a run in the 7th Inning. An RBI single by Ron Davenport got the run on the board, but, by that time, Trenton (43-35) had a 4-0 lead. Ramirez (4-4) allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings with no walks and three strikeouts.

The Thunder jumped out to the lead in the 4th Inning on two-out RBI singles by 3B Eric Duncan and DH Yobal Duenas off New Hampshire starter Zach Jackson. Trenton added a two-run, two-out single by SS Ramiro Pena in the 6th Inning for a 4-0 lead. They added insurnace runs in the 7th and 8th Innings as well. Omir Santos' RBI single in the seventh made it a 5-0 Trenton advantage, while J.T. Stotts collected a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Trenton scored five of their six runs on "two-out" hits. Jackson (2-2) was charged with four runs in 5 2/3 innings and the loss.

Matt Smith came on to work a perfect 2 2/3 innings of relief for his 2nd save. Smith has retired the last 14 batters faced in his last two outings.

The Thunder, now with a 1 1/2 game lead over Portland in the Northern Division, takes on New Hampshire again on Wednesday at 7:05 PM. Jeff Karstens (7-5, 3.53) starts for Trenton against the Fisher Cats' Dustin McGowan (0-0, 0.00).