AFTER 14, SURF ALONE ON TOP WITH 8-7 WIN OVER CAPITALES
July 25 Recap

Atlantic City, N.J. – CF Lucas Taylor’s (pictured) RBI single through the middle in the 14th inning capped a four-run comeback, and gave the Atlantic City Surf an 8-7 victory over the Quebec Capitales in a marathon Can-Am League tilt on Friday evening at Bernie Robbins Stadium. With the win, Atlantic City moves into sole possession of first place in the season’s second half. The crowd of 6,126 was the Surf’s third-largest of the season.

Quebec got on the board first with a pair of second-inning runs. After singling and moving to second on a wild pitch, SS Alex Nunez took third when C Greg Stevens reached on a throwing error by Atlantic City starter Adam Cox. The throw went into right field, and RF Josh Burrus’ throw home to nail Nunez went wide, enabling him to score. The Capitales got their second run of the frame when 2B Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas brought home Stevens with a sacrifice fly.

Quebec starter Luis Valdez wasn’t touched by the Surf until the sixth, when DH Clyde Williams hit a two-out solo blast to center field, his seventh of the season. Atlantic City then tied the game in the seventh on 1B Eddie Kim’s leadoff blast.

The Surf took a 4-2 lead in the eighth with a pair of unearned runs. SS Anthony Granato walked, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. LF Joe Burke then hit a grounder to shortstop, which was mishandled by SS Jose Contreras, enabling Granato to score. Burrus then hit a single; Kim followed with a grounder to shortstop, with Contreras’ throw, attempting to retire Burrus, flying past Rochon-Salvas. Burke scampered home on the play.

Walker Whitley entered the game in the ninth to close the door for the Surf, but two fielding errors and a wild pitch allowed Quebec to tie the score, 4-4, and send the game into extra innings.

Both offenses were quiet until the 14th inning, when the Capitales started with three runs in their half of the frame; 3B Patrick Deschenes hit a two-run homer, followed by 1B Eddie Lantigua’s solo blast, making it a 7-4 game. In the Atlantic City half of the inning, 2B Brad Thoma led off by reaching on a dropped fly by Quebec RF Mike Goss. Williams, Burke, Burrus and Kim then hit consecutive singles, plating three runs. After C William Plaza was intentionally walked to load the bases, PH Billy Kovatch grounded to first, with Lantigua’s throw home narrowly retiring Burrus. It didn’t matter, though, as Taylor then stroked a single to bring home Kim and give the Surf their fifth consecutive win.

The game was billed as a pitcher’s duel between Valdes, the league’s ERA leader, and Cox, the Can-Am strikeout leader. Valdes threw seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out seven. Cox made it through four and two-thirds innings, allowing two unearned runs and striking out five, before leaving the game with an oblique injury.

For Atlantic City, Kim finished the evening 3-for-6, while Burke ended 3-for-7. Deschenes was 3-for-5 for Quebec.

The two teams meet in the middle game of the three-game set Saturday night, with Rory Shortell on the hill for Atlantic City, facing Quebec’s Chris Begg.