(Pomona, NY) – Before the fireworks extravaganza could get underway, the Boulders put on a show of their own against Ryan Bollinger (0-6) and the Aigles. They dominated both on the field and at the plate Monday night, giving the rookie Mike Adams (1-1) his first win.
Rockland exploded right out the gate, taking an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. The shortstop, Junior Arrojo, came in to score on a sac fly to right field by Marcus Nidiffer.
Nidiffer’s bat stayed hot. In the bottom of the third inning, he hit an RBI double to left field. The center fielder, Jared McDonald, came in to score advancing the Boulders’ lead to 2-0. Nidiffer has 27 RBI’s on the season, and five doubles.
An error by the Aigles’ shortstop, Delvis Morales, allowed Mike Fransoso to arrive safely at home making it 3-0. A single to right center off the bat of Jared Schlehuber brought in Nidiffer before closing out the inning. Rockland came out of the box in the third with a bang, leading 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, it was Mike Montville’s turn to (fun)shine. He hit a 2-run homer to left center, increasing their lead to 6-0. He and the left fielder, Devin Harris, came in to score on the at-bat.
The Aigles got on the board in the sixth inning. The first baseman, Danny Richar, came in to score on an RBI double off the bat of Kyle Lafrenz. Lafrenz also came in to score after Joey Miller singled up the middle. Trois-Rivieres still trailed 6-2.
Rockland gave Adams a lot to work with during his second outing. He went 5.1IP, allowing just two runs on nine hits. He faced 26 batters before the lefty, Liarvis Breto, relieved him in the sixth.
After loading up the bases, Breto gave up a walk to Lafrenz. The Aigles tacked on another run, cutting the Boulders’ lead down to 6-3. Pat Butler took over the bump in the seventh, retiring Connor Crane for a big third out.
The Boulders put on a fireworks show in the seventh inning. The pitcher, David Leblanc, balked and Elvin Soto came in to score. Schlehuber would come to the plate next and hit a 2-run RBI double just over the head of the left fielder, Yeixon Ruiz. The score was 9-3.
Montville hit a grand slam, extending Rockland’s lead to 13-3. He was responsible for nearly half (6) of the runs scored for the night, and has five home runs on the season.
The Aigles sent Omar Duran to the mound in the eighth, looking to put an end to the hitting parade. Nidiffer drew himself a walk with the bases loaded. Jared McDonald came in to score the last run of the game, making the final 14-3.
The Boulders (26-17) and the Aigles (10-32) both play tomorrow at 7pm. The Quebec Capitales will host Rockland for a three-game series, while Trois-Rivieres return home and face the Sussex County Miners.