BROCKTON’S BATS FINALLY AWAKEN, ROX PULL OUT WILD 14-11 VICTORY
June 8 Recap

Atlantic City, N.J. – After having their potent offense largely muted during the first two games of the series, the Brockton Rox spoiled the Atlantic City Surf’s chances for a sweep on Sunday night, pounding out 17 hits en route to a 14-11 win in a lengthy Can-Am League affair at Bernie Robbins Stadium.

The Surf got on the board first as LF Clyde Williams (above) swatted a two-run first-inning homer. Brockton, which came into the game first in the Can-Am with a .312 team average, then responded with six in the second, via a home run by LF Jud Thigpen, his league-leading fifth of the season; two-run singles by CF Ervin Alcantara and 3B Philip Cuadrado; and an RBI single from 2B Eugene Julien. After the Rox added another run in the third, Atlantic City stormed back with four in the bottom half of the frame, including a two-run single by Williams, and three more in the fourth, courtesy of an RBI triple by 1B Joe Burke, on which he would come around to score on a throwing error, and a single from 3B Billy Hogan, plating C William Plaza.

The 9-7 Surf lead lasted until the seventh, when Brockton exploded for six runs. RF Joe Frazee and Alcantara each brought home two tallies with one-out singles, while 1B Francisco Lebron and SS Dominic Ramos added RBI singles of their own. With the score 13-9 at this point, Atlantic City made a game of things when RF Billy Kovatch drove in Hogan with a seventh-inning single and Williams hit his second home run of the evening in the eighth, a solo bomb. It was as close as the Surf would come, though, as Ramos homered in the ninth to make it a 14-11 final in favor of the Rox.

In a cluttered box score that saw the teams combine for 31 hits, eight errors, ten pitchers used and 16 strikeouts, Williams finished 4-for-5 with five RBI on the evening to lead the Surf, while Burke, Kovatch and CF Lucas Taylor chipped in with two hits apiece. On the Brockton side, seven different players had multiple hits; Ramos made up for a three-error night in the field by going 3-for-6 with three runs scored and a stolen base, while C Mike Torres was 3-for-4. Rox DH Melvin Falu, the league’s leading hitter at .482 entering the evening, was the only Brockton starter held hitless.

J.C. Huguet started for Atlantic City and gave up seven runs, but only two earned, in two innings of work. Five different relievers finished the game for the Surf; Ryan Rafferty (1-1) picked up the loss. For the Rox, Jacob Ramos (1-0) earned the victory, allowing one unearned run in two and one-third innings of work. Jerry Dunn pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the season.

The Surf are idle Monday before hosting the Sussex Skyhawks in a three-game set Tuesday through Thursday. Adam Cox, currently ninth in the league with a 2.12 ERA, will start for Atlantic City.