by TRENTON, NJ – Lane Adams (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) broke up a scoreless game in the seventh inning with a solo home run and the Thunder held on for a 2-1, fog extended, victory over the Reading Fightin Phils in front of 5,806 fans at ARM & HAMMER Park on Friday night.
Anthony Vasquez and Ronald Herrera each took scoreless performances into the seventh inning until Lane Adams broke the tie with a solo home run to dead center field. After Kyle Higashioka grounded out, Sebastian Valle doubled to deep left field to end the night for Reading’s starter. The Thunder would take a 2-0 on a wild pitch thrown by reliever Gregory Infante.
In the eighth inning the fog began to roll in with more significance. Aaron Brown singled off of Jonathan Holder to begin the frame and Jesmuel Valentin doubled to right-center to make it a 2-1 game. Moments after Valentin’s double, the teams left the field for a fog delay, the first in ARM & HAMMER Park history. After just eight minutes, the teams returned to the field and Holder retired the side in order to keep in a 2-1 game.
Prior to the ninth inning the fog thickened again and the teams were forced from the field for the second time and the game was in a delay for 104 minutes before the team’s returned to the field.
Tyler Jones walked the tight rope in the top of the ninth allowing a leadoff double to Dylan Cozens and a single to Jake Fox to begin the inning. Jones came back to strike out Angelo Mora and KC Serna for the first two outs and Aaron Brown grounded out sharply to 1B Sebastian Valle to end the game.
It was the first time in franchise history that a Thunder home game was delayed due to fog, although it was the second time this season that a Thunder game was affected by it. On Sunday, May 1 at Erie, the Thunder had their game postponed due to the thick cloud of tiny water droplets.
Valle and Dustin Fowler led the Thunder offense with three-hit games. Ronald Herrera took a no-decision despite throwing with six shutout innings on Friday night, allowing four hits, one walk and struck out five. Jonathan Holder earned the win with two innings of relief, his second of the year.
Your Thunder will play game three of their season against the FIghtin Phils on Saturday night at 7pm. LHP Daniel Camarena will start for the Thunder, RHP John Richy will go for Reading. Saturday features post-game fireworks set to Disney music. Tickets are available by phone at 609-394-3300 or online at TrentonThunder.com.
