Big inning rallies Rox past ‘Jacks

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BANGOR – A five-run seventh proved too much for Bangor to overcome as the Brockton Rox ended the regular season with a 7-4 victory over the Lumberjacks on a sunny, warm Monday afternoon at Winkin Complex.

The season marches on for Bangor, however, as the Lumberjacks travel to Little Falls, N.J., to take on Northeast League South Division champion New Jersey in a best-of-five semifinal playoff series starting Wednesday night.

Bangor concluded regular-season play 31-15 in the second half and 56-36 overall. NEL 2003 champ Brockton finished 18-28 in the second half and 45-47 overall.

The Lumberjacks rested a couple of starters Monday, but catcher and team ironman Brad Hargreaves was not one of them.

“Would a day off have done me some good? Probably, but we don’t have anyone behind me right now,” said Hargreaves. “And to be honest, if I wasn’t playing I’d probably be in there complaining so I’d rather play than sit.”

Shad Williams (2-0) earned the win after throwing seven innings and allowing four runs, four walks and seven hits – four of those doubles.

“I don’t mind watching line drives as long as most of them are hit right at someone and that’s the way it was for them the last couple days,” said Brockton manager Ed Nottle.

Brockton scored single runs in the second and fourth innings to take leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but Bangor answered shortly afterward each time.

A leadoff double by Mark Burke, a Paul Powell single and an RBI groundout by Josh Tranum scored Burke in the bottom of the second. In the fourth, Bangor tied it and took the lead with a one-out Brian Baker double, a two-out RBI single by Shin Uchino and an RBI double to the left-center gap by Jose Garcia.

The first six Brockton runners reached base safely in the seventh as the Rox parlayed four hits, two wild pitches, a walk and a Bangor fielding error into five runs, four of them earned. Bangor starter Matt Sheuing, who entered the game in a rare relief appearance to get some work before his scheduled Game 3 playoff start Friday, absorbed most of the punishment as he gave up three hits and all five runs.

Rox No. 9 hitter Steve Newson had a key hit with a bases-loaded, two-run single to center. Hector Henriquez hit an RBI single and the other two runs came courtesy of two Isaac Pavlik wild pitches.

GAME NOTES – Three Lumberjack players were honored before the game with team awards. Outfielder Derry Hammond was presented with Bangor’s outstanding hitter award, starter Jerry Long was honored as the outstanding pitcher, and Hargreaves was given the fan favorite award.

ROX 7, LUMBERJACKS 4

(Monday Afternoon)

Brockton (18-28) Bangor (31-15)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Stewart, cf 5 1 2 0 Garcia, rf 5 0 1

Henriquez, 2b 5 0 2 1 Hargreaves, c 4 0

Torres, dh 5 0 1 0 Kohno, cf 3 0 1

Lewis, 1b 5 0 0 0 Burke, 1b 3 1 0

Daubert, 3b 3 1 0 0 Powell, ss 4 0 0

Bustos, ss 4 2 2 0 Tranum, dh 3 0 1

Jones, c 3 1 0 1 Baker, lf 4 1 0

Sandoval, rf 3 1 1 0 Bello, 2b 3 0 0

Newson, lf 4 1 2 3 Uchino, 3b 4 1 1

Totals 37 7 10 5 Totals 33 4 7 4

Brockton Rox 010 100 500 ? 7

Bangor Lumberjacks 010 200 100 ? 4

E? Burke, Uhl; LOB? Rox 6, Lumberjacks 6; 2B? Garcia, Hargreaves, Burke, Baker; S? Garcia; SF? Jones

Brockton IP H R ER BB SO

Williams (W, 2-0) 7 7 4 4 4 3

Stutz 1 0 0 0 0 1

Stevens (S, 2) 1 0 0 0 0 0

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Uhl 5 4 2 1 1 3

Andrews 1 0 0 0 0 1

Scheuing (L, 11-5) 0 3 5 4 1 0

Pavlik 2 1 0 0 0 0

Mangieri 1 2 0 0 0 2

WP? Pavlik 2; T? 2:21; ATT? 1,708