ERIE, PA – A pair of late home runs padded a lead for the Thunder as they held on for a 6-3 win over the Erie SeaWolves at Jerry Uht Park.Erie sent the tying run to the plate in the 9th inning with one out against Nick Goody after Wynton Bernard singled to put runners at first and second with one out.
After a flyout by Harold Castro who stepped to the plate as the game-tying run, Connor Harrell stroked a line drive to the left side of the infield. Shortstop Ali Castillo took one hard step to his right and made a diving grab on a sure base-hit to end the ballgame.Starting Pitcher Eric Ruth allowed a pair of runs in the 6th inning after being spotted an early 3-0 lead through four innings by the Thunder offense.
Dean Green slugged a solo home run to lead-off the inning to put the ‘Wolves on the board, thereby snapping Ruth’s scoreless inning streak at 23.2 innings spanning his last four starts. Jason Krizan and Wade Gaynor each followed with doubles to plate another run and bring Erie back to within a run.In the eighth inning with the Thunder ahead by a run, Eric Jagielo connected for his second home run in as many days to put the Thunder ahead 4-2. It was Jagielo’s 9th of the season to lead the Eastern League and it was also his fourth in eight games at Jerry Uht Park this year.
After a pair of batters were retired, Ali Castillo roped a single to the outfield to extend the inning for Jose Rosario. The Thunder second baseman had not homered yet this season, but in his 130th AB of 2015 he smoked a ball off Erie Insurance Arena in left field for a two-run homer and the last runs of the game for the Thunder. Rosario finished the four-game series with the SeaWolves going 10-for-15, six runs scored and three three-hit games to raise his season batting average from .183 to .237.
The win improves the Thunder to 23-21 on the season, which is the first time since April 27th the team has been two games above .500. Trenton also completes its campaign at Jerry Uht Park at 6-2 after going 4-4 away from home against the SeaWolves a season ago. The final time the Thunder and SeaWolves face off this season is at ARM & HAMMER Park June 9-11.
The Thunder head to Akron following the game to begin a four-game series over the next three days against the Akron RubberDucks at Canal Park. The middle day of the series will feature a double-header, but Tuesday’s contest pits RHP Luis Severino (1-2, 3.27) for the Thunder against LHP Ryan Merritt (3-3, 4.06) for the ‘Ducks. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:20 p.m. on 91.3 FM or online at www.trentonthunder.com.
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