Connecticut Defenders Make it Two in a Row with 5-4 Win Over Reading Phillies - Eastern League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - NORWICH, CT- Behind a quality start from right-hander Adam Cowart, the Connecticut Defenders won their second straight as they edged out the Reading Phillies, 5-4.



The Defenders rattled Reading starter Drew Carpenter in the top of the first as Connecticut scored the first run of the ballgame on an RBI walk drawn by Carlos Sosa to score Ben Copeland who led the game off with a single.

Reading would strike back in the second as Jeremy Slayden’s run scoring double brought home Neil Sellers from second to equalize the game at 1-1.


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A scoreless third, fourth and fifth led to a big home half of the sixth as the Defenders would plate four runs. The party started with two outs as Sosa stood on first base with Dave Maroul standing at the dish. Maroul turned on a breaking ball and sent a double down the third base line to put runners on second and third. Olmo Rosario drew a walk to load the bags and Simon Klink tapped a pinch-hit RBI single to the hole at third to bring in the first run of the inning. Copeland was up next as he slapped a sharp ball to second base, but Brad Harman couldn’t handle it as Maroul came home on the error. Finally, Kyle Haines ripped a single into shallow right field to bring in two more to give Connecticut a 5-1 lead.



With the game seemingly in hand, Ryan Sadowski took the hill for Connecticut and immediately made the game interesting. Sadowski issued two consecutive walks and gave up a single to Harman to load the bags. Pinch-hitter Jake Blalock hit a chopper to third that Maroul couldn’t handle to bring home Slayden as the runners moved station to station. Javon Moran was next as he reached on an error to short to bring in another run as the lead closed to two runs. Osiris Matos replaced Sadowski and promptly struck out the first man he saw but walked Greg Golson with the bases loaded to make it a one- run game. Then Matos delivered as he induced a inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to preserve the fragile, 5-4 lead.



Matos would hurl a scoreless eighth and the Defenders would get another good opportunity to score a run in the bottom half of the inning but Maroul was left stranded on third as Connecticut clung to the slim advantage.



Sergio Romo took the hill in the ninth and took care of business, as usual. He faced the minimum and struck out the dangerous Golson to end the game as the Defenders enjoyed their second consecutive one- run win.



Maroul had three hits including one double as Cowart earned his first win of the year and Romo got his sixth save in as many tries.