Albany routs Bangor> Former Red Sox farmhand shines

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ORONO – Ed Riley vowed he wasn’t done with baseball when the Red Sox released him last June.

After eight years in the Boston organization, including 4 1/2 months with the Red Sox’ Triple A Pawtucket, R.I., club in 1993, Riley was cut loose and went home to Worcester, Mass.

“I talked it over with my family and I decided I wasn’t done with baseball,” Riley said after pitching seven innings of three-hit baseball to power the Albany Diamond Dogs to an 8-1 Saturday night victory against the Bangor Blue Ox at Mahaney Diamond. “I’m only 26 and I still have a lot of baseball left in me.”

Riley struck out 14 Blue Ox batters in seven innings of work, using a strong inside fastball. The former Red Sox prospect gave up one earned run, two walks, and threw 76 strikes in 117 pitches.

Sunday’s 1 p.m. game was rained out and will be part of a 5 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday. The two teams play tonight at 7:30.

With Major League Baseball expanding next spring, Riley hopes a strong season in the league will help him re-enter organized baseball.

“I’m just trying to show people that I can still pitch,” he said.

Riley was released after 16 games with the Sox Double A club in Trenton, N.J., after accumulating a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 innings.

After discussing his future with his family, Riley worked as a prison guard at Worcester Correctional Facility before getting a call from Diamond Dog General Manager William “Rip” Rowan to try out this spring.

The Dogs have had few regrets so far. Riley has dominated the Northeast League competition, compiling a 4-0 record in 29 innings, giving up just 17 hits, and striking out 36, for a 2.17 ERA.

The 6-foot-2 lefty got a lot of help Saturday night as the league-leading Diamond Dogs pounced early and often, including Ron Lockett’s two-out double – the first of his two on the night – to score two in the first inning.

Leadoff batter Felix DeLeon knocked a single up the middle, and Terrance McDaniel drew a one-out walk from Ox starter R.J. Spang. Lockett’s double plated both, and Spang induced Rafael Mercado to pop up to second to end the inning.

David Simon drew the first of two consecutive walks to start the second inning and advanced to third on Jeff Gordon’s sacrifice bunt. Simon scored on DeLeon’s single to right-center field.

Third baseman Garret Quaintance’s sliding catch in foul territory, and McDaniel’s groundout to short got the Blue Ox out of the inning, trailing 3-0.

Sean Gillian crushed a pair of solo home runs in the third and ninth, respectively, to lead the Diamond Dogs, who accumulated 12 hits.

Gerald Davis was the Blue Ox sole bright light with a double and two singles to go 3-for-4 and up his batting average from .292 to .316.

The Blue Ox got on the board in the seventh when Tim “Tee” Morrow drew a leadoff walk from Riley, advanced on to second on Popeye Cole’s flyout to right, and to third on Davis’ single. Garret Quaintance collected the RBI with his single to shallow right, and the Blue Ox cut the deficit to 6-1.

Diamond Dogs 8, Blue Ox 1

Albany (15-5) Bangor (11-8)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

DeLeon, ss 5 1 3 1 Cox, cf 4 0 0 0

Reinisch, 3b 5 0 0 1 Goldb’rg,2b-ss 3 0 0 0

McDaniel, rf 4 1 0 0 Parker, 1b 4 0 0 0

Gillian, dh 5 2 2 2 Morrow, dh 3 1 0 0

Lockett, 1b 5 1 2 2 Cole, lf 4 0 0 0

Mercado, lf 5 1 2 0 G. Davis, rf 4 0 3 0

Simon, cf 4 1 1 0 Quaintance, 3b 4 0 1 1

Mariano, 2b 4 0 2 2 Mota, c 2 0 0 0

Gordon, c 3 1 0 0 Hummel, ss 2 0 0 0

Delnoce, 2b 0 0 0 0

Totals 40 8 12 8 Totals 30 1 4 1

Albany 211 001 102 – 8

Bangor 000 000 100 – 1

2B – Lockett 2; G. Davis HR – Gillian 2 LOB – Albany 10, Bangor 6 SB – DeLeon 2, Simon S – Gordon

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Albany

Riley (W, 4-0) 7 3 1 1 2 14

Sullivan 2 1 0 0 1 2

Bangor

Spang (L, 1-2) 8 12 8 8 4 8

Maddock 1 1 0 0 0 0

HBP – Goldberg by Riley WP – Riley; Spang PB – Gordon; Mota TIME – 2:40 ATTENDANCE – 721