Miners’ offensive effort falls short in game three
The Sussex County Miners (4–5) dropped a dramatic extra-inning contest to the New York Boulders (7–2) on Sunday afternoon at Clover Stadium, falling 10–9 in the Frontier League’s Sudden Death eleventh inning to complete a three-game series sweep.
Sussex County struck first for the second straight game. Second baseman Hunter D’Amato came around to score on a throwing error by Boulders infielder Santino Rosso, giving the Miners an early 1–0 advantage. New York starter Connor Godwin escaped the inning without allowing an earned run.
Left-hander Jackson Balzan (0–1) took the mound for Sussex County but quickly saw the lead erased. Before recording an out in the bottom of the first inning, Boulders shortstop Fritz Genther launched a two-run home run to put New York ahead.
The Miners reclaimed the lead in the third inning as shortstop Dean Ferrara and center fielder Edwin Mateo each delivered RBI groundouts. New York answered immediately, tying the game on an RBI single from Dan Tauken before Norris McClure’s run-scoring double pushed the Boulders ahead 4–3.
D’Amato’s RBI double in the fourth tied the game once again, though Henry Garcia Jr. responded with a solo home run in the bottom half to restore New York’s advantage. Balzan completed four innings, allowing five earned runs while striking out five.
The Boulders extended their lead to 7–4 in the fifth inning following a two-run home run by catcher Jack Scanlon. Sussex County responded in the sixth, continuing the back-and-forth battle. Left fielder Gabriel Maciel launched a two-run homer, and Mateo added an RBI single to even the score at seven.
The Miners moved back in front in the eighth inning when D’Amato drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 8–7. Reliever Parker Primeaux, after delivering a scoreless seventh inning, preserved the lead with another strong frame in the eighth.
New York forced extra innings in the ninth. Aaron Simmons led off with a double, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on a fielding error to tie the game 8–8. Sussex County regrouped to escape further damage and extend the contest.
In the tenth inning, Ferrara—serving as the automatic runner—scored on Sandro Gaston’s sacrifice fly to give Sussex County a 9–8 edge. The Boulders again answered, as designated hitter Garrett Cooper delivered an RBI double to level the score at 9–9.
Under Frontier League sudden-death rules in the eleventh inning, New York elected to play defense — a decision that proved decisive. The Miners were held scoreless, sealing the walk-off victory for the Boulders.
Five Sussex County hitters recorded multi-hit performances. D’Amato, Mahki Backstrom, Mateo, and designated hitter Sean Roby Jr. each added an extra-base hit, while Gaston contributed two singles. Pitcher Jorden Sesar also made history in the seventh inning, becoming the first Miners pitcher to record a hit since Kenny Koplove in 2018. Primeaux and fellow reliever Dalton Fowler were the only Sussex County pitchers not to allow an earned run.
With the loss, Sussex County falls to 4–5 on the season and sits in third place in the Atlantic East Division, holding a 2–4 record against divisional opponents.
The Miners continue their road trip with a three-game series against the New Jersey Jackals in Paterson. First pitch for game one is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, at 10:35 AM. Watch all Miners games live on HomeTeam Network and listen to the live Miners Radio Network broadcast on Mixlr.
Written by Alex Remoll with Scott Davies