Friday night at New Scotland The Silver Marlins narrowly escaped a big upset by the Braves. The Marlins scored two runs in the top of the first on RBI's by Mike Girard and Darnell Baker. They handed the ball to long-time ace, Jim Ansel in the bottom of the first and expected to ride his pitching to a comfortable win. After just one pitch that plan went out the window! Mr. Ansel pulled up gimpy with a reoccurance of a hamstring injury. With all other options unavailable Mike Girard took over on the mound. With limited experience in that role, the Marlins got some mileage from the fill-in hurler. Over the first four innings the Marlins added 6 runs and the Braves were only able to get one run in the bottom of the third and another in the bottom of the fourth. Struggling at times with control through the first four, Girard was losing steam in the fifth, when the Braves used an error, a single and two four-pitch walks to plate their third run and load the bases with one out. Mike Lacoture came on in relief and struck out the first Brave hitter he faced. Then DeMaria lifted a long fly ball over the head of Marlins right fielder John Reel for a bases clearing triple. With the score now 8-6, Lacoture got hot-hitting John Corrigan to pop out to left to end the threat. The Silvers got a very important insurance run in the top of the sixth on a RBI single by Ron Lochner. With the score 9-6 and the daylight waning, it was obvious that the bottom of the sixth would be the last inning. Lacoture struckout the leadoff hitter, but the Braves followed with two walks, an Marlin error, and a fielders choice to Bring Rob Currier to the plate with a 9-8 score and a runner on third with two outs. The count went full and Mike threw a pitch that was probably off the plate outside, but close enough for the umpire to bang out the batter. Game over! WHEW!!!
Another game winning RBI for Lochner as he continues to make his case early in the season for league MVP!
-- Edited by mgirard11 on Sunday 7th of June 2009 10:16:52 AM
-- Edited by mgirard11 on Sunday 7th of June 2009 10:19:10 AM
