Sea Dogs errors lead to Rock Cats win

New Britain 9 at Portland 6 (11 innings)

W: B. Julianel (1-2, 3.00); L: B. Vaughan (1-1, 3.03)
HR: NBR: B. Peterson (7), E. Lis (6).

A pair of errors in the 11th inning proved costly as the New Britain Rock Cats took advantage of the Portland Sea Dogs lapse in judgment to parlay them into 3 runs, to pick up a win on the road.

Shored up by their new arrivals, the Cats got onto the board first. Brian Dinkelman would ground out in the lead off role, but Dustin Martin walked his way onto base. Danny Valencia also picked up a free pass before Erik Lis singled out to center. Peterson would take a walk too before Matt Moses sacrificed in Valencia. David Winfree would also take a walk, but Felix Molina struck out to retire the side.

Drew Butera lead off the top of the second with a double, and Dinkelman followed that up with a double of his own, trading places with the Cat's catcher. Martin would ground out and Valencia pop out before Lis put one over the right field wall, for two more runs, spotting New Britain a 5-0 lead.

They'd need it however as Ryan Khoury doubled in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Aselton, making a start for the Rock Cats, then issued walks to Iggy Suarez, Bubba Bell and Tony Granadillo to force in a run. The walks kept coming though as Jeff Corsaletti took one to force in a second Sea Dogs run. Sandy Madera would hit into a force out that scored Bell while Granadillo was taken out at 3rd. A throwing error by Valencia however, allowed Corseletti and Madera to advance. Happily Zach Daeges flew out to end the inning.

For whatever reason, they let Aselton back out onto the field for the 3rd. Aaron Bates promptly took a double off of him, and following a fly out to Mark Wagner, Khoury took a walk. Iggy Suarez would line out before Aselton started with the free pass hand out again, giving another one each to Bell and Granadillo and scoring Bates before Bobby Cuellar got out there with Jay Sawatski. Sawat would give up a single to Corsaletti that plated Khoury, but would get Madera to ground out to end the inning.

Things settled down after that, but you have to wonder if Cuellar was questioning the wisdom of demoting Jay Rainville and Oswaldo Sosa, especially as Yohan Pino is not cleared to start and is working out of the pen.

Brock Peterson would go yard over the right field fence in the top of the 6th to give New Britain a one run lead. It was short lived however as Bates tripled off Pino. Bates would injure his leg during the run to 3rd, and was replaced by John Otness as a pinch runner. Wagner would single to drive in Otness, tying up the game again.

Neither team found much in the way of scoring opportunities after that. Granadillo would double in the bottom of the 7th for the Dogs, while the Cats managed to get Drew Butera to 2nd in the top of the ninth.

It wasn't until Suarez's fielding error in the top of the 11th that New Britain found their opening. Winfree would reach and a second error, this time by pitcher Beau Vaughan, put Molina on base. Drew Butera singled to load the bags, and a sac-fly by Dinkelman brough in Winfree. Martin would single to load up the bags again and Valencia would take a walk to force in the insurance run. Lis hit into a ground out that plated Butera for the 3rd run before Peterson flew out to end the inning.

Ben Julianel would strike out Madera, get Daeges on a fly out and get Otness to pop out to end the contest.

Peterson finish up 3-for-6 with a walk a run and a run scored while Lis was 3-for-7 with a run and 4 RBIs. Butera was 4-for-5 at the plate with a walk and a pair of runs, while Valencia was 2-for-5 with 2 walks, a run, and a run scored. No one hit wonders, as Dinkelman, Martin, Moses and Molina all contributed with either a run or a run scored.

Winfree was the only Cat without a hit, but walked twice and finished with a run as well.

The two teams rematch tomorrow for the final game in the shortened series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM

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The Rochester Red Wings had the day off as the International League rested on Wednesday.