Brandon Jacobs hit an RBI double in the eighth inning. (John Corneau/Lowell Spinners)
LOWELL, Massachusetts (Friday, August 20, 2010) – The Lowell Spinners scored three runs in the eighth inning to top the Hudson Valley Renegades, 5-2, on Friday night at LeLacheur Park. Lowell has won two of the last three games.
Spinners starter Madison Younginer struck out the side in order to open the game in the first inning. Shortstop Dio Luis and first baseman Phil Wunderlich, the first and third batters, struck out looking, while the middle batter of the inning, second baseman Elias Otero swung and missed.
Hudson Valley’s Wilmer Almonte allowed a leadoff single to center fielder Felix Sanchez, but he was caught stealing. The next two batters in second baseman James Kang and third baseman Kolbrin Vitek struck out swinging to end the inning.
Younginer walked two in the second, but was able to endue three outs without any runs or hits.
Right fielder Bryce Brentz gave the Spinners the lead on an RBI triple to right-center field with one out in the bottom of the inning. Left fielder Brandon Jacobs scored all the way from first on a ball that had a wicked ricochet off the base of the wall. Brentz came in from third on a line single into right field by the next batter, designated hitter David Renfroe.
The Renegades cut the lead in half on a one-out single in the third by Otero that was out of reach diving first baseman Miles Head. Center fielder Chris Winder came in easily from third on the hit that rolled down the right field line.
Second baseman James Kang doubled to leadoff the bottom of the third inning, but Almonte forced two fly outs and a groundout to strand Kang halfway home.
Younginer worked his second 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth as he struck out the final two. Almonte worked his first perfect inning in the fourth as well as he educed a strikeout, groundout and popout.
Chez Angeloni came in for the Spinners, replacing starter Younginer after just four innings of one-hit ball. Left fielder Steve Tinoco tied the game with two outs as he hit an RBI double into deep left field to bring home Luis, who singled.
Younginer was happy, despite getting a no-decision. “The offense helped me out,” said the Sox rookie. “Lockwood did a good job to close it out.”
Almonte made way for Omar Bencomo in the bottom of the frame and allowed Sanchez to reach first base on an error by the shortstop Luis with one out. Almonte lasted four innings, allowing six hits and two runs, while fanning four.
Angeloni allowed singles to the first two batters of the sixth inning, catcher Mayo Acosta and designated hitter Junior Rodriguez, but retired the 9-1-2 batters in succession to send the threat by the boards. Bencomo retired the first two batters of the sixth, before allowing a walk to Brentz, but he was caught leaning off first base and was picked off to end the inning.
Tyler Lockwood came in for Angeloni in the seventh and retired his first three batters. He received some help from his defense, particularly second baseman James Kang, who robbed Wunderlich of a base hit on an impressive diving catch several feet to his right for the second out.
The Spinners were retired 1-2-3 by Bencomo in the seventh, including two strikeouts for the first and third outs of the frame to Renfroe and shortstop Joantoni Garcia.
In the eighth, Lockwood allowed three straight baserunners, but Acosta was forced out on a fielder’s choice and two batters struck out to end the threat.
Kolbrin Vitek sent home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth as he hit an RBI double to right field to score Kang.
Jacobs gave the Spinners a 4-2 lead on an RBI double of his own to right field. Stephen Hiscock came in after the Spinners took the lead against Bencomo. Two batters later, he came around on a single through the infield by Brentz.
Lockwood walked Luis to lead off the ninth, but he then retired the final three batters for the win. He allowed just two hits and a walk over three innings for his first win. Bencomo fell to 1-3 as he allowed two hits and three unearned runs over 3.1 innings.
Manager Bruce Crabbe was pleased with his pitching during the game. “He had really good life on his fastball, which picked up his breaking ball,” he said of Lockwood. “That’s really how he needs to pitch…It was a real good night for all the pitchers. I’m proud of them.”
The Spinners and Renegades play the middle game of the series Saturday at 5:05. Tyler Wilson (2-3) starts for the Spinners, while James Patterson (2-1) is the likely starter for Hudson Valley.
KCT BASEBALL 