ROADWAY DAZZLES IN OPENER AS SURF SPLIT TWINBILL WITH QUEBEC
June 1 Recap

Atlantic City, N.J. – Atlantic City Surf starter Brian Rodaway was superb in the first game of Sunday night’s doubleheader, pitching the Surf to a 4-1 victory over the Quebec Capitales, as the teams split the final two games of the four-game set at Bernie Robbins Stadium. Quebec took the evening’s second game, 6-2, to win three out of four in the series.

In the first game, Atlantic City put three runs on the board in the second inning, starting with DH Eddie Kim’s RBI single. C J.C. Huguet, behind the plate for the first game due to a wrist injury to regular catcher ,William Plaza, then followed with an RBI single. 1B Joe Burke drove in Huguet two batters later, making it a 3-0 game. The Surf then tacked on another run in the sixth on SS Anthony Granato’s RBI single. Granato finished the game 3-for-4, the second three-hit game for a Surf player this season. 3B Billy Hogan, Kim, and Huguet each had two hits apiece.

It was more than enough support for Surf starter Brian Rodaway (2-1), who was superb, allowing just one run on four hits, striking out three, for the complete-game, seven-inning victory. Three of Quebec’s four hits came in the seventh inning, when the Capitales scored their only run on DH Patrick Scalabrini’s sacrifice fly. After three outings, opposing hitters are now batting just .172 against Rodaway.

On the visitor’s side, LF ,Alex Nunez put together a two-hit game for Quebec. Kevin Beavers (0-2) suffered the loss, giving up ten hits and three runs, fanning two.

The second game saw Quebec (7-4) put a run on the board in the second inning via a sacrifice fly by RF Issael Gonzalez. The Surf (6-5) tied things up when CF Lucas Taylor ran home on a wild pitch in the third.

The Capitales added a run in the fifth before engineering a four-run sixth to put the game out of reach. After LF Alex Nunez scored on a fielding error by SS Anthony Granato, SS Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas and C Patrick D’Aoust put together back-to-back RBI singles. Reliever Aaron Easton then allowed a bases-loaded walk to 2B Josh Colafemina, making it a 6-1 game.

Atlantic City C Burke’s RBI double down the right-field line in the bottom half of the sixth brought the score to 6-2, but the Surf could come no closer.Jim Wladyka (0-1) took the loss for the Surf, giving up two runs in four and one-third innings. Luis Valdez (2-0) got the win in relief for the Capitales, giving up one run on three hits in three innings of work.

Rochon-Salvas, D’Aoust and DH Eddie Lantigua each had two hits in the second game for Quebec, while Hogan and LF Billy Kovatch had a pair of base knocks for the Surf.

It was the final meeting between the two teams in the first half of the season. The Surf and Capitales will not face off again until July 17-20 in Quebec.

The Surf are idle Monday before traveling to Worcester on Tuesday to begin a three-game set. Huguet (1-0) returns to the mound to face the Tornadoes’ Shaun McNamara (0-1) in the opener.