The Sussex County Miners (19-24) salvaged the three-game series against the Trois-Rivières Aigles (14-29) with a 12-10 win.
The Miners started off with a bang and never looked back, despite a late Aigles charge.
The Miners were off to a hot start at the top of the first, with Keenan Taylor recording the first hit of the game. Mahki Backstrom recorded the first run of the game with a ground-rule double, followed by Evan Berkey’s two-run double to make it a 3-0 ball game.
Two walks scored in the top of the second, followed by a Keenan Taylor RBI single. Backstrom drove in Haiden Walters. Berkey and Taylor both stole, with Taylor making it home to turn it 8-1.
After a lengthy rain delay with Trios-Rivières being in a severe thunderstorm warning, the game continued at 7:14 PM EST.
Taylor continued to get hits, as in the top of the fifth, he singled to bring in a run for the Miners. This was after multiple fielder’s choices by Hunter D’Amato and Taylor in the third inning to make the score 11-3 in the top of the fifth.
After a monster home run by Emmanuel Tapia in the bottom of the sixth helped the Aigles cut the deficit to five, Gabriel Maciel singled to bring in D’Amato and make it 12-6 in the top of the seventh.
The Aigles started to rally in the bottom of the eighth, scoring four runs, including a three-run home run from the catcher Jedier Hernandez. Despite this, the Miners managed to win 12-10 thanks to strong pitching by John Perozzi.
Jorden Sesar pitched four innings, giving up three runs, six hits, three strikeouts, and two walks. Perozzi closed out the game by pitching two innings, giving up two hits, no walks, and three strikeouts, earning his second save.
The Miners will play the New York Boulders next on June 30th at 7:05 PM EST.
Written by Matthew P. Malchiodi
Above: Right fielder/third baseman Keenan Taylor went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI (photo by Phil Hoops)