The Boulders completed their sweep of the Dominican Republic with a 13-3 victory behind seven RBIs from Joe Maloney and strong starting pitching. C.J. Riefenhouser improved to 3-1 on the season with a five inning, one run starting performance. Newly anointed starter Adrian Grullon (0-1) took the loss for the Dominicans after giving up six runs in just 1.2 innings.
After a shutout first inning, the scoring would begin in the second. Rockland right fielder Mike Montville led off with a single and stole second and third base. Jon Smith walked to reach base and Jared McDonald laid down a safety squeeze for a hit to bring home Montville. Cody Regis was hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases. Maloney came up next and crushed a grand slam, the Boulders second in as many games. Immediately after, Marcus Nidiffer hit one out of the park to give his team an early 6-0 lead.
The D.R. responded with back-to-back doubles from Norberto Susini and Danny Taveras to put them on the board. A walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases afterwards but Riefenhouser was able to get out of the jam.
The Boulders got the run back in the top of the third off of new pitcher Gregory Lorenzo. A double by Smith and single by Joe Bennie put a runner in scoring position. The D.R. tried to turn an inning ending double play but an E6 by Rodney Polonia allowed Smith to score giving Rockland the 7-1 lead.
In the fourth, new Dominican reliever Carlos Perez walked three straight to load the bases for Mike Fransoso who picked up an RBI on a sac fly to center. The Boulders broke the game wide open in the fifth. Bennie walked and Dylan Tice singled to get on base. Regis singled to drive in a run and Maloney came to the plate next to hit a three-run bomb for his second homer of the day upping the lead to 12-1.
Riefenhouser got himself into another bases loaded jam in the fifth because of a walk to Polonia and singles by Sthervin Matos and Edward Solcedo. CJ was able to get a strikeout and two shallow fly balls to strand the runners again maintaining the 11 run lead, which would grow in the next inning.
Fransoso hit a groundball to Polonia but the shortstop threw the ball into the dugout for his second error of the game allowing his Rockland counterpart to go to second base. Jose Agustin Rosario came on in relief but Bennie doubled off of him to drive in yet another run.
The Dominicans cut into the deficit in the sixth with a series of hits off of Rockland pitcher Thomas Lawrence. Gilbert Gomez singled to lead off and scored on a double by Juan Crousset. Angel Adames hit another double moving Crousset to third. The runner came home on an RBI groundout by Polonia making the score 13-3.
With the sweep, the Boulders are 22-8 and remain in first place of the CanAm. The Dominican Republic is 0-9. Next up for Rockland is a three road game series with the New Jersey Jackals starting tomorrow before returning home on Thursday to face the Ottawa Champions. All road Boulder games can be watched online at https://www.canamleague.tv.