Saturday, July 26, 2008

Mariners 5 Rams 3

Friday night at Eiras Field the Rams carried a 3-2 lead into the 7th inning, but a couple of costly errors and a big RBI double just inside the right field line lifted the Mariners to their league leading 13th victory. In another tightly contested well pitched battle the Rams and Mariners went back in forth all night. Manchester jumped out in the first with one run, Gentile led off with a single to center and advanced to second on a misplay in the outfield, Gentile wasted no time stealing 3rd on the next pitch , Cain picked him up with a sac fly.Rowley came back in the bottom of the first to tie the score on a Shane Johnson single with Johnson advancing to 2nd on an outfield misplay. Johnson would score on an error and Rowley had a chance to add on after Ralph Renzulli doubled to deep left center putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out. Manchester pitcher Gibbon(7IP, 7H, 1BB,1ER, 5K) got out of the jam and was excellent all night. Manchester went right back on top in the 2nd when Buckley doubled avanced to 3rd on a fielders choice and scored on a passed ball. From there Matt Wile (7IP, 5H, 2BB, 2ER, 5K) of the Rams settled in and continued to pitch well. Rowley tied the game in the 4th when Rowley's Ralph Renzulli(2 for 2, 2R, 1 RBI, HR) went deep to left. The game remained tied until the 6th when the Rams went up by one on a Tim Moore single scoring Renzulli who had reached on a walk. Manchester started the 7th with consectutive batters reaching on infield errors, with 2 on and none out Wile struck out the next batter but the runners advanced on a passed ball. With first base open the Rams intentionally walked pinch hitter Bryan Lafata to load the bases, a fielders choice to 2nd tied the game. With 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd Cain delivered the big blow with a double down the right field line. The Rams got a runner on in the 7th but it was not to be as Gibbon struck out the final batter of the night. The Rams are back in action Monday night in Ipswich for the 1st game of a 3 game in 3 night series. Manchester is also back at it Monday as they start a 3 game on 4 night series against Hamilton.