Joel Naughton provided the offensive spark the BlueClaws were looking for, knocking in three runs, including the game winner in the eighth, to help Lakewood to a 6-5 win over Hagerstown on Wednesday night at FirstEnergy Park.
BlueClaws even series behind six strong innings from Brummett
LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Joel Naughton provided the offensive spark the BlueClaws were looking for, knocking in three runs, including the game winner in the eighth, to help Lakewood to a 6-5 win over Hagerstown on Wednesday night at FirstEnergy Park.
Naughton’s base hit on a two out, 3-2 pitch from Kai Tuomi (1-1) scored pinch runner Herman Demmink from second to give the BlueClaws the lead for good. Demmink replaced Mike Durant who reached base with a one-out double, his last of four hits on the night.
On a night full of big home runs, Durant hit the biggest, launching a Brad Peacock pitch over the 20-foot fence in deep left-centerfield that at the time gave the BlueClaws a 2-1 advantage.
The ‘Claws extended their lead to 5-1 with three runs in the sixth off of reliever Terrence Engles. Michael Taylor, Durant, and Travis Mattair hit three straight singles with two outs, before Naughton drove in two with a double to right-centerfield.
Tim Pahuta had a big home run of his own and it was one of the few mistakes that Brummett made on the evening. Brummett went six innings, a season-high for any BlueClaws starter, allowed just the one run on three hits, walked three and struck out eight, also a season-high. The former UCLA hurler took a tough-luck no decision after leaving the game with a 2-1 lead.
The Suns (3-2) rallied for four runs in the seventh and the eighth against the BlueClaws bullpen to tie the game at the seventh inning stretch. Chance Chapman gave up three runs, one earned, without recording an out in the seventh before Yen-Feng Lin gave up one more in the eighth to tie the game up at 5-5.
The BlueClaws (2-4) reached a new season high 11 hits on the game and only left five men on base.
The victory, just the second of the year for the BlueClaws, put the team in a position to win their first series of the season. The BlueClaws and Suns return to action at FirstEnergy Park on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. with Julian Sampson (0-0, 12.00) taking on Jeff Mandel (0-0, 3.60).