May 13th
Hitmen at Red Sox
8:15, Heritage

boxscore

The two new NCBL teams hooked up on opening night at Heritage Park in Orleans. Despite some sloppy play by both teams, it was a close game that went right down to the end.  The Hitmen jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first with an RBI single by Geoff Magnus and a 2 RBI single by Jaeme Gloyn off of Red Sox starter Colin Kargus. These runs would be the only runs that Kargus would give up in 4 innings of work.  The Red Sox got off to a slow start, not getting a hit until Eric Brisson's RBI double to left field in the 3rd inning.  The Sox would go on to add 2 more runs in the inning with an RBI single by J.P. Donaghue and a wild pitch by Hitmen starter Magnus.

Going into the top of the fourth tied at 3, the Hitmen loaded the bases with just one out, but Kargus got out of the jam by getting a force out at home plate and a strike out to end the inning. The Red Sox took this momentum into the bottom of the inning against new Hitmen pitcher Alex Green, and managed to score a run with 2 walks, a hit, and an error.

The back and forth play continued in the 5th when the Hitmen scratched out a run on a perfectly executed squeeze play by Josh Taillon off of new Sox pitcher Donaghue. But of course in the bottom of the inning, the Red Sox responded again with an RBI single by Yannick Gosselin and a double steal of second and home, with Jean Francois Goulet scoring to make the score 6-4 heading into the 6th.

In the 6th, Sox pitcher Donaghue got a little wild, as he walked 2 and threw 3 wild pitches, enabling the Hitmen to score 2 runs to tie the game. Chris Schmidt had to come in to get the 3rd out with a runner on second base and struck out the Hitmen batter.

In the bottom of the 6th, with the score tied at 6, Brisson led the inning off with a bloop double down the left field line. After a wild pitch moved Brisson to third, Felix Septimo hit him in by smashing a hit off of Hitmen pitcher Green. Donaghue followed with another RBI single to score the insurance run.  That was the game, as time ran out on the Hitmen, and the game was called.

Player of the Game : Eric Brisson, 2 for 4, 2 runs, 2 doubles, 1 RBI.
 
 
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