South Jersey Baseball:
Thunder Stay Alive with 2-0 Win

Friday, September 9, 2005

By Dan Loney
Trenton Thunder Director of Broadcasting

(Trenton, NJ)- Three Trenton pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout to lead the Thunder to a 2-0 win over Portland on Friday night in the Northern Division Championship Series. Portland still leads the "Best of Five" series by two games to one.

The Thunder scored their only runs on bases-loaded walks in the 3rd and 6th Innings off Portland starter David Pauley. A walk to Michael Coleman plated the first run with a walk to SS Ramiro Pena scoring tyhe second run. An error by Portland SS Hanley Ramirez set up the second Trenton run. Pauley (0-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Thunder starter Eric Schmitt (1-0) worked 5 2/3 shutout innings to earn the win. He allowed three hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Portland (2-1) loaded the bases in the 8th Inning, but Justin Pope got a ground out by Ramirez to end the inning. Pope also got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 9th Inning as he got David Murphy to hit into a fielder's choice to end the game.

The Sea Dogs left 12 men on base in the game and were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Game #4 of the series is Saturday at 6:05 PM. Calvin Maduro (4-2, 3.18) starts for trenton against Portland's Charlie Zink (8-5, 4.87).