Wednesday afternoon at Skylands Stadium in Augusta, New Jersey, the Quebec Capitales and Sussex County Miners faced off in a doubleheader. With the first part of the doubleheader being a constant tug-of-war.
Game 1
Quebec would strike first and do so in a big way. First baseman Torin Montgomery delivered a two-run homer to right field, allowing not only himself but Ruben Castro as well to score, giving the Capitales a 2-0 lead.
Quebec went on to hold their 2-0 lead until the middle of the second inning. Edwin Mateo produced a single on a line drive to left field, allowing himself to run to first base and Evan Berkey to second base.
This would set up first baseman Kiko Romero to bring the Miners right back into the game. Romero would hit a double to center field, creating the opportunity for Mateo and Berkey to score, tying the game 2-2.
Second baseman Hunter D’Amato kept the momentum rolling for Sussex County. Hitting a ground ball to left field, generating the opportunity for Romero to score. Giving the Miners a 3-2 lead, which they held onto for the third and fourth innings.
In the fifth inning, the momentum flipped on its head; it began with a hit to center field from Montgomery, allowing the first baseman to reach first base. In addition, Castro advanced from first to second base, and Kyle Crowl went from second to third base.
Then a bunt by Eddie Hacopian opened a chance for Crowl to score, tying it up at 3-3. Another bunt would be delivered this time by Nicolas Deschamps, allowing Castro to score, giving Quebec a one-score lead.
The home crowd was beginning to accept defeat for part one of this doubleheader, but the Miners roared back in the sixth inning. This spark came from a Romero two-run homer to right field that brought Mateo and himself home. This spark came from a Romero two-run homer to right field that brought Mateo and himself home.
D’Amato came through with a single on a ground ball to center field, leading to Jose Medrano getting home. Gabriel Maciel provided a double on a fly ball to center field, allowing D’Amato to secure a three-run lead for Sussex County. The Miners wouldn’t give up another inch of their lead, winning the first part of this doubleheader 7-4.
Game 2
The second part of this doubleheader was a defensive affair through the first four innings. The only run was scored by Sussex County scoring off of a Berkey sacrifice bunt that allowed Dean Ferrara to cross home plate.
Quebec exploded in the fifth inning and went on to run away with the last part of this doubleheader. Jordan Smith, early in the inning, recorded a triple on a ground ball to right field. Two pitches later, on a bloop to left field, TJ Schofield-Sam doubled, and Smith got home.
Schofield-Sam went on to score from a Yuta Hamada single on a line drive to right field. After an error by Miners pitcher Rob Hensey, which allowed Hamada to move from first to third base and Hugh Pinkney to second base.
Hamada would score after a line drive to center field by Chavez Young, and Pinkney ran to third base. Young then would steal second base. With the bases loaded, Montgomery hit a ground ball to center field, opening a chance for Young and Crowl to get home.
Immediately after Young and Crowl scored, Hacopian singled to center field, and despite Montgomery getting tagged out while stretching to third base, Castro scored, giving the Capitals a 6-1 lead.
From there, Quebec never looked back, and their defense didn’t give the Miners offense any sliver of hope for a comeback. The Capitales went on to even the doubleheader with a 6-1 victory.
