The Rockland Boulders got back into the win column tonight thanks to a 9-3 victory over the Quebec Capitales to even the series. The Boulder bats came alive as the team hit five homeruns and four off of Quebec starter Arik Sikula (0-2), who gave up six runs in as many innings. Rockland starter Bo Budkevics (1-0) had a quality start giving up just two runs over six innings to secure his first win of the season.

Rockland got off to a good start manufacturing a first inning run with a walk and stolen base by Dylan Tice, who would be driven home by the very next batter, Mike Fransoso, with an RBI single. The Capitales would strike back with a run of their own in the top of the second. After a leadoff double by Yurisbel Garcial and a groundout that would move him to third, Garcial would score on a wild pitch to even the score. However, Cody Regis would give the Boulders the lead again with the first blast of the night.

The score would hold up until the bottom of the fourth when Marcus Nidiffer would crush a two-run homer to bring home Fransoso and give the Boulders a 4-1 lead. Rockland would strike again the following inning with a solo shot by Jon Smith, who made a phenomenal diving catch earlier in the fourth to rob Quebec of a hit, for his fourth homerun of the season.

The Capitales would try to battle back in the sixth with an RBI single by Jordan Lennerton, but Joe Maloney would smash a pitch out of the park in the bottom of the inning to erase Quebec’s efforts and make the score 6-2.

The Capitales would turn to their bullpen in the seventh inning but Maloney would strike again with a three run blast off of relief pitcher Andrew Elliot to give him two homers on the night and his league leading fifth of the season in the eighth to break the game wide open at 9-2.

Quebec would score one more in the ninth, but it was not nearly enough as the Boulders secured their eighth win of the season to improve to 8-2 and snap their short losing streak. The rubber match of the series will be tomorrow at 2 pm.