JAMESTOWN, N.Y. - After a sluggish offensive start to the New York-Penn Baseball League season, the Jamestown Jammers have broke out in a big way.
En route to their fifth consecutive victory - a 12-6 rain shortened win over the Vermont Lake Monsters Thursday at Diethrick Park - the Jammers collected a season-high 20 hits and moved within one game of the .500 mark.
Jamestown (11-12) could reach that breakeven mark Friday if they can complete a three-game sweep of the Lake Monsters at Diethrick Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. A win would give Jamestown its second straight sweep over one of the NYPL's top teams. The Jammers swept Brooklyn earlier this week.
On Thursday, the Jammers wasted little time in charging up a stagnant offense.
Trailing 1-0, Yefri Perez started the bottom of the first inning with a single and was replaced at first by Pedro Mendoza after a fielder's choice. Viosergy Rosa came to the dish next and sent a two-run homer sailing over the left center field fence. Jesus Solarzano followed Rosa's homer with one of his own to make it 3-1.
Jamestown extended the lead to 6-1 in the second, using five hits in the inning to plate three more runs. Yeison Hernandez started things with an RBI single and Mendoza brought home two more runs with a double.
Cameron Flynn delivered an RBI double in the third and Jamestown stretched its lead to double digits in the fourth with four more runs. Perez and Mendoza started the frame with singles and Perez scored on Rosa's double. Solorzano next singled home Mendoza and Kentrell Dewitt's two-run double made it 11-1 in favor of the home team.
While Vermont would score the next three runs of the game, Jamestown wouldn't be seriously challenged the rest of the way. Solarzano's single to lead off the eighth was Jamestown's 20th hit of the night and he soon scored the 12th Jammers run of the night on Flynn's RBI groundout.
With Miguel Fermin taking over on the mound, Christopher Bostick led off Vermont's ninth with a single and moved up two bases on an error.
Brett Vertigan made it 12-5 with a sacrifice fly and Jacob Tanis followed with a solo homer to make it 12-6.
Before the next batter could begin his at-bat, heavy rains delayed - and eventually called for the early completion of Thursday's game.
The odd ending provided a rarity in baseball where the losing team ended the game with a home run.
Vermont 100 012 002 - 6 11 1
Jamestown 331 400 01x - 12 20 3
2b-Brett Vertigan (V), Pedro Mendoza (J), Viosergy Rosa (J) 2, Jacob Tanis (V), Cameron Flynn (J), Kentrell Dewitt (J), Kelvin Rojas (V), Bruce Maxwell (V). 3b-Vertigan (V). HR-Rosa (J), Jesus Solarzano (J), Tanis (V). WP-Blake Logan. LP-Brent Powers.