South Jersey Baseball:
Thunder Fall 9-3, But Stay in 1st Place

Sunday, June 25, 2006

By Dan Loney
Trenton Thunder Director of Public Relations

(Trenton, NJ)- Reading pounded out five home runs, two by 1B Randy Ruiz, in a 9-3 win over the Thunder on Saturday night. Trenton remains in 1st Place and 1/2 game ahead ahead of Portland, who at Norwich, in Northern Division play.

Reading (34-43) jumped out to a 2-0 lead off Thunder starter Jon Skaggs in the 1st Inning. RF Michael Bourn started the game with a solo homer, his 4th of the year, as part of the inning, but Trenton (41-35) got a run back on a LF Kevin Thompson leadoff homer, his 9th of the season. The Thunder then added back-to-back solo homers from 3B Eric Duncan and RF Bronson Sardinha to take a 3-2 lead in the 2nd Inning.

The Phillies followed with back-to-back solo homers of their own, from CF Chris Roberson and LF Ryan Fleming to reatke the lead at 4-3 in the 3rd Inning. A two-run homer from Ruiz in the 5th Inning made it a 6-3 Reading lead. Skaggs (2-7) allowed six runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings in the defeat.

Meanwhile, Reading starter Chris Rojas survived early trouble to earn the win. He went 7 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits (just two hits after the 2nd Inning) with one walk and four strikeouts.

Reading capped off their night with runs in the 8th and 9th Innings, including Ruiz's second homer of the night and 18th of the year.

The series finale is Sunday afternoon at 1:35 PM. Matt DeSalvo (4-1, 3.13) starts for Trenton against reading's Mike Smith (3-6, 3.13).