South Jersey Baseball:
Three Homers Not Enough In Thunder Loss

Saturday, July 9, 2005

By Dan Loney
Trenton Thunder Director of Broadcasting

Reading tagged Thunder starter Jeff Karstens for four runs in the 4th and 6th Innings en route to a 9-4 win over Trenton on Saturday night. The loss is the fifth straight on the road for the Thunder.

Reading (42-48) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 2nd Inning on a solo homer by 1B Ryan Barthelemy, but Trenton (46-43) responded in the top of the fourth with a solo homer by 1B Shelley Duncan, his league-leading 22nd of the year to tie the game at 1-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Phillies collected five straight hits off Karstens to score their four runs and take a 5-1 lead. An RBI single by Barthelemy was followed by an RBI double from 3B Juan Richardson and a two-run single by C Trent Pratt. Reading added four more runs in the sixth on a run-scoring hit from 2B Carlos Leon and a two-run single from DH Randy Ruiz, along with a Trenton error.

Karstens (8-8) allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss. Meanwhile, Reading starter Carlos Chantres (4-9) worked eight innings for the win. He allowed four runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Trenton got home runs from C Omir Santos and 2B J.T. Stotts off Chantres in the 8th Inning.

The series concludes on Sunday at 1:05 PM. Charlie Isaacson (5-2, 2.54) goes for the Thunder against Reading's Chris Rojas (9-5, 4.20).