The Blue Thunder rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to erase a 3-2 deficit and then held off a scare in the seventh to secure a 4-3 victory over the Yankees in the the Sunday finale at New Scotland. The Thunder win avenged a 4-3 loss to the Yankees earlier this season.
Darrin Ambridge, who entered the game with a 4-1 record and 2.08 ERA, was dominating through the first five innings, and when the Yankees pounced on Thunder starting pitcher Jon Martin for two runs in the top of the first, a Thunder victory was looking as ominous as the black clouds above. But Martin shut out the Yankees in five of the final six innings to allow the Thunder to creep back into the game. He finished off his complete game victory with an exclamation point as he struck out the final batter with the tying run on the third. Martin scattered eight hits, walked just one and struck out four to lower his ERA to 2.52.
Mark Marshall and Rick Royka opened the game with consecutive doubles and Kevin Jackson added an RBI single as the Yankees jumped out 2-0. Donnie Ball delivered a clutch two out RBI single in the bottom of the second to cut into the Yankees lead, 2-1. An RBI single by John Sheehan put the Yankees back in front 3-1 in the top of the fourth, but Ron Massaroni came up with the Thunder's second key hit with a two-out RBI single in the fourth to make it 3-2.
Ambridge, who struck out seven but walked eight, lost control of his heater in the sixth when the Thunder rallied for two runs to take the lead. Ambridge walked three in the inning, including a bases loaded walk to Matt Kelly to force in the tying run, and Massaroni came through again with a two-out bases loaded single to right center to plate the go-ahead run. A strong throw to the plate to nail the second runner trying to score stopped the bleeding for the Yankees, who trailed 4-3 entering the seventh.
Don Rogers led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch, and to third on a grounder to short. But he was left stranded at third on a sharp ground out to short with the infield in. Martin then reached back to strike out the final batter to end the game. The Thunder victory moves them to 10-4 on the season, a half game behind the second place Black Sox (10-3), whom they will meet in the regular season finale on Aug. 28.