POMONA, NY- The Boulders struggled to put Shikoku Island away yet again, dropping the rubber game of their three game set 5-4 in ten innings at Palisades Credit Union Park. 
    The Boulders (19-11) jumped out to a quick, comfortable lead in the first two innings scoring four runs compared to Shikoku’s one. The first inning saw everyone in the lineup see action, but only witnessed one hit. 
Jared Schlehuber had the big drive of the inning stroking a double to right to bring home Michael Schwartz after Jared McDonald had scored on an error. Pat McKenna also added an RBI bases loaded walk in the inning, one of five walks the Boulders earned in the first. Schlehuber would add another RBI on a single in the second inning. 
    However, that would be almost all the Boulders offense could muster for the rest of the game. Shikoku starter Shungo Fukunaga recovered after a rough first inning to not allow another run after the second, finishing with seven innings pitched with an astonishing 127 pitches thrown. After Schlehuber’s last RBI, Fukunaga didn’t allow a runner past first base, allowing only two more hits. He finished with eight strikeouts on the night. 
Shikoku Island (5-5) sent out Barrett Phillips, Junki Kishimoto and Osamu Taira who all continued the shutdown of the Boulders lineup, blanking Rockland from the eighth inning through the tenth, with still no runner moving past first base.  
    Boulders started Jarrett Martin, who pitched well, striking out nine batters in seven innings, but Shikoku chipped three runs off of him, one in the first and two in the fifth. Donnie Joseph carried the torch in the eighth, and started out well, getting two outs to start, but lost his control after, walking a runner and then hitting one with a pitch. 
Nector Nelo (2-1) then came on, and allowed one of the runners to score. He pitched a shutout ninth inning before allowing Masashi Muneyuki to score the eventual winning run in the tenth inning. His 2.1 innings pitched was his longest outing of the year. He was saddled for his first loss in a Boulders uniform.  
    The loss marked Rockland’s second straight to Shikoku, giving the Japanese All-Stars the series win a year after Rockland handed Shikoku a four game sweep. Boulders will take a day off before hosting the New Jersey Jackals on Tuesday night at Palisades Credit Union Park in the first game of a home-and-home series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 on Tuesday.