Ryan Crotin hits two home runs and drove in three as the Petach Tikva Pioneers pummel the Ra'anana Express 14-6.
By SHLOMO SPRUNGbaseball 88(photo credit: )
Ryan Crotin hit two home runs and drove in three as the Petach Tikva Pioneers pummeled the Ra'anana Express 14-6 on Sunday at Gezer Field. The Pioneers scored eight runs in the 3rd inning that ultimately decided the outcome of the contest.
It was a competitive battle at the start of the game. The Express took the early 1-0 lead in the 1st on an error, only to see the game tied by Petach Tikva in the bottom half on Crotin's first homer of the game. The Pioneers scored one in the 2nd inning on a single by Dustin Melanson, who ended up with three RBI's in the contest. The Express tied the game in the 3rd, but Petach Tikva erupted for eight runs in the 3rd inning highlighted by two run doubles for both Melanson and Willis Bumphus. The Pioneers added three runs in the 4th, and the outcome was academic the rest of the way. Ra'anana scored twice in both the 6th and 7th innings, but it wasn't enough to keep Petach Tikva (4-17) from just their fourth win of the year. The Express (9-13) were led by Michael Hochman, who drove in two runs in the game.
Express starter John Thew (2-2) allowed seven runs over two innings to suffer the loss, while Pioneers starter Alper Ulutas gave up two runs over six solid frames to earn the win.
With Tisha B'Av arriving tomorrow night, the games at Gezer and Baptist Village will be played at 12 noon, while Sportek's game between Beit Shemesh and Tel Aviv will go down at 3 pm.
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