Boulders drops slugfest to New Jersey 16-9

For the second time in three games, a Rockland Boulder starting pitcher failed to get out of the first inning. Handed the ball in the series finale against the New Jersey Jackals, David Palladino (3-2) got rocked in two-thirds of an inning on the hill, surrendering seven runs on four hits, yielding two home runs and walking three.

“Two days in a row, let’s be honest our starters have given up a total of 16 runs and nothing good is coming out of it,” said Manager Jamie Keefe. “We continue to swing the bat and don’t give in. The problem is the 22 man roster, this time of the year innings are eaten up and we need guys to step up and not sit down and happening right now. We need our pitchers’ to keep us in games.”

The night would continue to get progressively worse as the Jackals tacked on eight runs in the next five innings to take a commanding 15-1 advantage. For the game, Rockland used seven pitchers’ including three position players in Mikael Mogues, Conor Bierfeldt and JC Rodriguez.  Attempting to duplicate their remarkable comeback victory in game one of the doubleheader on Tuesday after falling behind 9-0 in the first inning, the Boulders managed to cut into the deficit scoring six times in the 5^th but proved to be insurmountable. New Jersey ended up slugging five home runs in the contest including two from Kevin Torres.

Adding to their Can-Am League home run record on the season, Mike Montville (17), Conrad Gregor (10) and Kevin Krause (10) all went deep as the Boulders made it 11 home runs in the last three games played. Newcomer Reggie Wilson had a solid debut going 3 for 4 with one run scored.

“We had some guys step up and take over innings that would never take innings before and guys wanted to do it and shows me a lot of where the heads are at,” Keefe said. “Reggie (Wilson) gets on base four out of five times on base and that is the move we need, some one who can play centerfield and shore up the defense.”

Dropping two out of the three against New Jersey, the Boulders fell into a third place tie with Trois-Rivieres at 43-40. Rockland continues the home stand on Thursday night welcoming in the Ottawa Champions for a four-game series. Last week at RCGT Park, the teams’ split a four-game set. So far this season, Ottawa has swiped four of the seven games played between the teams’.

“They have been a pain in the ass and only played them seven times,” said Keefe. “They got us, we gave them a game up there (RCGT Park) and could have taken three out of four. If we can put some zeros early, I like where we are going to be. We need confidence in one another in the clubhouse and don’t want to say they don’t have it but we need someone like Ernst who can work fast and get through four innings with a run or two we’ll be off to the races, we get through those innings with five or six we will be doing the same thing in playing from behind.”