The only farm club to lose Friday, New Hampshire, managed to clinch at least a playoff bid in the Eastern Division of the Eastern league when close contenders all lost their contests.
51s pitching gave up 11 hits, but only three runs. WP Winston Abbreu (8-5) threw only 1.2 IP while starter P.J. Walters gave up 8 hits, 3 ER and 3 BB while striking out5 in 5.1 IP
Las Vegas put up four including a pair of RBIs from Adam Loewen on a two run blast in the 1st inning. David Cooper managed the other RBI with a double in the 1st as well. The 51s put up what was to be the winning run in the 6th when Chris Woodward reached on an error and Ryan Shealy scored.
Starter Chad Jenkins had a tough 2nd inning, allowing 4 runs to Portland. He went 5.0 IP and had 7 Ks, but was unable to get a decision. Rey Gonzalez(8-3) took the loss in 1.2 IP allowing 2 ER on 4 hits.
Jonathan Diaz (2 for 4) started the scoring in the 5th with an RBI double, plating Mark Sobolewski (2 for 4) who had doubled. Moises Sierra (2 for 5) also earned and RBI with a single in the seventh. Sobolewski had an RBI single in the sixth. Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Howard each doubled to bring the NH extra base hit total to four. The Fisher Cats went three up three down in the ninth, unable to get any runs across.
Lansing lumber made the evening with 10 hits at Cooley Law School field to the delight of 7,112 who attended. Pitching wasn’t too shabby at all with winning pitcher Sean Nolin (4-4) going 6 IP, allowing just a single run on three hits and threw a healthy 10 Ks and a pick-off to boot.
Matt Nuzzo went 3 for 3, scoring 2 runs and batting in a pair. Garis Pena batted in a pair as well, one on a fielder’s choice and the other on a sac fly. Other RBIs were credited to Oliver Dominguez, Marcus Brisker, and Peter Mooney. Both Mooney and Brisker tripled.
Four Vancouver hurlers combined for a total of 12 Ks on the evening, but Phillip Brua (7-1) got the win with just a little work in 1.0 IP.
Roan Salas had a solo blast in the 4th inning and Nicholas Baligod who doubled was doubled in by Matt Newman in the 2nd and Baligod brought in the winning run in the 9th by doubling in Shane Opitz who had stole second base.
Bluefield threw three pitchers at E-Ton, but the one with the W was Ajay Meyer (1-0) who took his first win of the year, striking out 7 and allowing 6 runs on 6 hits. Meyer didn’t help his winning ways with a throwing error on a pickoff attempt.
The big gun for the evening accounting for almost have of the Blue Jays’ runs was Christopher Hawkins who batted in 5, going 3 for 5 including a triple and a pair of doubles. Kevin Pillar also had 3 hits, batting in a pair with a double and a single.
Three Stars:
Third Star: Matt Nuzzo – 3 for 3, 2 R, 2 RBIs
Second Star: Adam Loewen- 2 for 4, HR, 2B, 2 RBIs
First Star: Chistopher Hawkins – 3 for 5, 3B, 2 2B, 5 RBIS
