Generals 9 Townies 4
Hamilton defeated Rockport by the score of 9-4 on opening night at Patton Park Thursday. Jack Clay (5+IP, 8H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 6K) earned the win in his ITL debut with a solid performance. Clay yielded just one run through the first five innings before tiring in the sixth. Matt Greeke (2IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 4K) entered the game for the Generals and extinguished a Rockport rally to earn the save. McDowell was charged with the loss for Rockport.
The Generals took a 2-0 lead after one inning. Jim Love and Bryan Vitale walked and would later come around to score on a wild pitch and a Mark Ruggiero (2-for-4, RBI) RBI single. The lead was extended to 4-0 in the bottom of the second when Mark Potter singled and Austen Michel (0-for-1, 2BB, HBP, 2R) and Jimmy Parr walked to load the bases. Jim Maloney (2-for-3, 2B, 2RBI, BB, R, SB) followed with a two-run ground-rule double. Rockport closed the gap to 4-1 in the third on a Brent Currier solo shot to left.
Hamilton got that run back in the fourth when Michel walked again and later scored on a Love sacrifice fly. Another run was added in the fifth when pinch runner Nails Simmons came around to score after running for Mike Chandler, who had singled. Rockport cut the gap to 6-4 by plating three in the sixth, highlighted by a Tommy Robertson (2-for-3, RBI, BB) RBI single. However, Hamilton would tack on three of their own in bottom half as Avon Stewart drilled a three-run HR into the willow tree to round out the scoring.
The two teams will meet again Sunday night at Evans field in Rockport with a 6pm first pitch.
