By Tomasz Kamien / NewJerseyHitmen.blogspot.com
April 15th, 2012: Manchester, NH - New Jersey enters Whiten Field with a 4-3 record for the year. After losing the two game season opener to Gloucester, the Hitmen took two of three from both New Orleans and West Virginia. This was already labeled as a tough series against a strong division rival.
Game 1 began as many have for the Hitmen this year. A pitching duel between youngsters Douglas Bonsink, who has been filling in for injured Miguel Ortíz, and Manchester’s Ryan Dawson. Both pitchers put in quality starts allowing only one run each. Bonsink had some trouble finding the strike zone as he walked six batters compared to Dawson’s two. Neither pitcher would pick up the decision as Game 1 went till the 11th inning where Manchester won it with a walk off single by third baseman Theodore Boyd to finish 2-1.
Game 2 was all Manchester. Starter Yoritoki Ando would pick up his 2nd win as he got two big innings out of his offense. With the walk off win the night before, Boyd came back this night hot, leading his team with a 3-5 performance and three RBI. Left fielder Shimpei Adachi added three hits as well along with a solo shot home run in the 5th inning off of starter José Rivera.
After almost throwing the complete game in his first start Rivera showed signs of his sloppy play from last year in his second outing, getting roughed up for five runs on five hits in just four innings. Manager Tracy Evansth made mention that Rivera will have a few extra eyes on him as Bonsink could be battling him for the 5 rotation spot with the return of Ortíz approaching.
Game 3 was all staff ace, Jian Du’s game. Throwing seven innings of three hit baseball, Du struck out six and walked four while keeping the Maulers baffled at the plate. A four run 4th inning was all the Hitmen needed in order to seal the deal on this night.
Game 4 was an exciting match, seeing both starting pitchers roughed up. Jerry Jones lasted five innings but gave up seven runs, only three earned. Manchester’s Jesús González would be chased out in after an inning and a third after giving up five earned runs on six hits. In the end Manchester came out on top as catcher Francesco ‘Guns’ Amati would get the walk off single by bringing in Theodore Boyd.
The key to the series for Manchester was the play of Theodore Boyd according to manager Tracy Evans. “He gets the walk off one game, tears us up another, and then is the scoring run in another walk off. That guy had our number no doubt. We were close in a couple games, just couldn’t get the job done. That is something we will have to work on.”
The Hitmen will get a day of rest tomorrow before heading over to Virginia to play the Arlington Bureaucrats to finish off their away trip.
Tomasz Kamien is a beat writer for the New Jersey Hitmen. This story was not subject to the approval of Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance or its clubs.
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