07/24/2010 10:30 PM
Leadoff hitter hits homer, collects three hits in win
(Newark, N.J., Jul. 24, 2010) - Wayne Lydon had three hits, including a solo homer, and added two RBI, leading the Somerset Patriots to an 8-7 victory over the Newark Bears Saturday night at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
Lydon, the Patriots’ leadoff hitter, drove in a run with a single in a three-run fourth inning and hit a solo homer in the sixth for the winners.The Bears mounted a ninth-inning rally, scoring three runs on RBI singles by Randy Gress and Kennard Jones and a sacrifice fly by James Cooper. Newark got no closer as Pablo Ozuna was thrown out at second base by Noah Hall on Cooper's fly ball and Daryle Ward grounded out to first to end the game. Ben Grezlovski pitched the final two-thirds of an inning to record his second save of the season.
The Bears took an early 1-0 lead in the home second on a solo homer by Brian Barton. Somerset jumped all over Bears starter Bob Zimmermann (7-2) in his Newark debut as they plated three runs in the fourth inning. Hall led off the inning with a walk, moved to second and third on wild pitches and then scored on Pete LaForest’s sacrifice fly, tying the game at 1-1. Elliott Ayala then doubled and scored on a single by Tim Raines, Jr., giving the Patriots the lead for good. Wayne Lydon drove in the final run in the rally with a single, pushing the lead to 3-1.
The Patriots then scored twice more in the fifth inning, when Jeff Nettles singled and scored on Hall’s two-run homer, his fourth of the season and second homer in as many nights. Former Mets phenom Bill Pulsipher started the game for Somerset, hurling three innings in his Patriot debut. Casey Cahill (2-4) then replaced Pulsipher in the fourth and pitched four and two-third innings, earning his second win in six decisions.
Zimmermann pitched five innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits, striking out five, suffering the setback in his Bears debut. Zimmermann, who was acquired in a trade with York earlier in the week, saw his seasonal mark fall to 7-2. Lydon pushed the lead to 6-1 with a solo homer in the sixth inning off reliever Bubba O’Donnell, his fourth homer of the season.
Newark cut the lead to 6-4 in the eighth inning, when Barton launched his second homer of the game and eighth of the season, a three-run shot to right-center, scoring Daryle Ward and Pablo Ozuna ahead of him. Barton now has eight round-trippers and 28 RBI in just 27 games with the Bears.
Josh Pressley drove in two insurance runs with a two-out single in the ninth, pushing the lead to 8-4. In the loss, Kennard Jones collected his 100th hit of the season with the RBI single in then ninth.
The home stand and series conclude tomorrow as Newark looks for a split with Somerset. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m., with the gates of Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium opening at 4:00 p.m. Get to the park early and head down to the field for a pre-game autograph session, presented by PSEG. After the game, fans are invited back to the field to run the bases, during Kids Run the Bases, presented by PSEG. The Bears will also host their Youth Baseball Clinics prior to Sunday’s contest, sponsored by Healthfirst Health Plan of New Jersey. The clinics will run from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and are open for children ages 8-16 years old. Family Four Pack Tickets are available for just $50 dollars and can be purchased at the stadium box office or online, using the promo code: 4PACK. Tickets for the game and all upcoming Bears games are available at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium box office, by calling (973) 848-1000 ext. 212, or by logging onto www.newarkbears.com, and clicking on the tickets icon on the top of the page.
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