AUTHOR: SportsReleases.com TITLE: SIX RUN INNING PROPELS BLUFISH PAST BEARS DATE: 7/04/2007 05:16:00 AM ----- BODY:
NEWARK, NJ – July 3, 2007 – The Bridgeport Bluefish scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to erase a three run deficit en route to a 9-6 victory over the Newark Bears on Tuesday night at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.  The loss ended the Bears' winning streak at a season-high six games, a mark they have reached twice.


Bridgeport sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth inning.  First baseman Jesse Hoorelbeke singled to score right-fielder Bobby Malek and third baseman Lou Lucca.  Shortstop Jay Caligiuri followed with an RBI double and catcher Marcos Sanchez drove in Hoorelbeke with a single.  The next batter, left-fielder John Nathans, tripled to bring home Sanchez.  After a walk, centerfielder Quinton McCracken capped the scoring with an RBI double that scored Nathans.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by second baseman Javier Colina that plated left-fielder Joey Gomes. 

Bridgeport responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.  Malek hit an RBI double and later scored on a single by Lucca.

Newark took the lead right back in the top of the second.  With two outs and two men on, outfielder Marcus Nettles tripled off of the right field wall to score designated hitter Joe Jiannetti and catcher John Pachot.  The Bears extended their lead in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Nettles that scored Pachot followed by a Gomes single to plate Nettles.  The teams exchanged solo home runs, Hoorelbeke for Bridgeport in the fourth and Jiannetti for the Bears in the sixth, to make the score 6-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Reliever Hector Mercado (1-0) got the win for the Bluefish.  He went three and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs on five hits with a strikeout and a walk.  Franklin Perez pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the season.

For the Bears, reliever Jason DiAngelo (1-5) took the loss.  He surrendered six runs on eight hits in three and two-thirds innings of work.  DiAngelo walked three and struck out two.

The Bears and the Bluefish will play the second game of the three-game series tomorrow evening at 6PM at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.  Right-handed starter Bobby Brownlie (6-3) will take the mound for the Bears.

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