November 06, 2024
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

Falcons strike early, often to sink Acadians

BREWER – The Brewer Falcons waited out the lightning Wednesday night, then used early offensive fireworks to whip Trenton 10-5 in an American Legion Zone 1 baseball game at Heddericg Field.

The Falcons, who lead the South Division with a 6-1 record, struck for two runs in the first inning and five more in the second to build a 7-0 lead after the start of the game was delayed for 1 hour, 14 minutes due to rain and lightning.

That provided Andrew Patterson all the support he needed, as the righthander shook off a three-run third inning to pitch a six-hitter and earn his second victory in as many starts this summer.

Patterson struck out three and walked four in a 96-pitch performance.

Kevin McAvoy paced the Falcons’ eight-hit attack against three Trenton pitchers with a triple, double, and single with three RBIs. Nye Gifford added a triple and a two-run double, while Pat Moran hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot that capped off Brewer’s second-inning uprising.

Brewer took a 2-0 lead in the first as Trenton struggled with the outfield lighting, leading to back-to-back one-out triples by Gifford and McAvoy that produced the Falcons’ first run. After Moran drew a walk from Trenton lefthander Collin Henry, McAvoy scored on a groundout by Joe Robicheau.

Henry, who walked two batters in the first inning, walked the bases loaded with no outs in the second. Gifford then doubled to left-center to plate Corey Cushing and Chris Maguire, and McAvoy followed with a ground double down the left field line to drive home Jeff Miller and Gifford.

McAvoy was thrown out on the basepaths, but Moran followed with his deep blast to center that marked the end of Henry’s night on the mound.

Trenton (4-4) got a solid 3 2/3-inning, one-earned-run relief stint from righthander A.J. Pennartz, an effort that enabled the Acadians to contemplate a comeback.

Trenton capitalized on some wildness by Patterson in the top of the third, using three walks to help close within 7-3. Henry delivered the key hit, a two-run double to left-center that scored Cory Smith and Blake Wessel. Another walk put runners on first and second, but Brewer’s middle-infield combination of Cushing at second base and Maguire at shortstop combined to turn a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

The Acadians crept within 7-4 in the top of the fifth as Smith hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on an infield error.

Brewer countered with an unearned run of its own in the bottom of the fifth, as Cushing walked and scored thanks to a pair of wild pitches sandwiched around an infield error.

Patterson hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to plate the Falcons’ final runs of the game.

FALCONS 10, ACADIANS 5

Trenton (4-4) Brewer (6-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Smith, rf 2 2 1 0 Miller, cf 2 1 0

Pooler, ph 1 0 0 0 Gifford, lf-rf 4 2 2

Wessel, ss 3 1 1 0 McAvoy, 3b 4 2 3

Alexander, ph 1 0 1 0 Moran, 1b 2 1

Henry, p-1b 4 0 1 3 Robicheau, c 4 1 1

Cousins, 3b-lf 3 0 1 0 Peasley, c 0 0

Hines, c 3 0 0 0 Davis, rf 1 0 0

Rosenthal, 2b 3 0 0 0 Grimes, lf 2 0

Merrill, lf-p 2 0 1 0 Patterson, p 4 2

Astbury, 1b-3b 0 0 0 0 Cushing, 2b 2 0

Pennartz, p 3 0 0 0 Maguire, ss 2 1 0

Peake, cf 1 1 0 0

Shea, ph 1 1 0 0

Totals 27 5 6 3 Totals 27 10 8 9

Trenton 003 010 1 – 5

Brewer 250 012 x – 10

E-Merrill, Cousins; McAvoy 2, Cushing; LOB-Trenton 6, Brewer 7; 2B-Cousins, Henry, Smith; McAvoy, Gifford, Patterson, Robicheau; 3B-Gifford, McAvoy; HR-Moran; DP-Cushing to Maguire to Moran; Patterson to Cushing to Moran

Trenton IP H R ER BB SO

Henry (L, 1-1) 1 1/3 5 7 7 5 0

Pennartz 3 2/3 2 2 1 3 4

Merrill 1 1 1 1 0 0

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Patterson (W, 2-0) 7 6 5 3 4 3

Pennartz pitched to two batters in 6th

WP-Pennartz 3; Patterson; T-2:15; ATT-75


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