Boulders Break Out the Lumber in 6-3 Win at Sussex County

After Thursday’s 10-3 Opening Day defeat to Sussex County at Palisades Credit Union Park, Rockland Manager Jamie Keefe expressed his frustration at the lack of consistent pitching and timely hitting. Keefe’s motto was to get ready for the next game and ready to go with the series against the Miners switching to Skylands Stadium in Augusta, New Jersey.

The message certainly resonated with the team. New right fielder Kevin Krause put Rockland up early in the third inning with a two-run RBI single. However, Sussex County answered back in the bottom of the frame, scoring three times off Boulders starter Thomas Lawrence.

After going 0-for-4, including three strikeouts in the season opener, third baseman Cody Regis rebounded with a 2-for-5 performance, including the game-winning single in the fifth inning. Marcus Nidiffer provided the biggest fireworks of the night, bashing a three-run homer.

Lawrence settled into the groove after permitting the three runs in the third, tossing six innings, yielding seven hits, striking out three and walking one. Handing off the ball to a bullpen that struggled mightily on Thursday night, the trio of Matt Kostalos, Garrett Johnson and Kyle Hansen dominated, hurling three shutout innings on the hill, permitting one hit, walking one and fanning five. Having driven 21 hours from Kansas City on Thursday, Hansen did not display any fatigue shutting the door in the ninth for his first save in a Boulders uniform.

“A great start by Tommy [Lawrence] and the bullpen was great,” said Keefe. “Timely hitting by [Kevin] Krause and Marcus [Nidiffer]. It’s nice to have him [Kyle Hansen] on our side.”

“This is going to be a special team, we have a lot of good guys and ball players” said Lawrence.

Both teams’ were scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday night at 6:35 p.m., but inclement weather erased that idea. Now the schedule calls for a twin bill on Sunday starting at 1:35 p.m.