Connecticut Defenders Blank Binghamton Mets 1-0 - AA, Eastern League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - NORWICH, CT - The Defenders have shown their colors at Dodd Stadium. In front of a boisterous crowd, Connecticut’s pitching shined as they out-dueled the visiting Binghamton Mets, 1

The Defs cracked the scoreboard early, in fact, they did so in the home half of the first. Ben Copeland slapped a leadoff triple to the gap and came home on the very next pitch as Olmo Rosario hit a slow roller to short as Connecticut took a meek 1-0 lead.

Joey Martinez took his turn on the mound for the Defenders and he sparkled. Martinez chucked 6 scoreless innings, scattered just four hits, walked two and fanned three en route to his second win of the season.

Steve Palazzolo relieved Martinez in the seventh as the Defenders hung on to the one-run advantage. Palazzolo gave up a leadoff double in the frame to Caleb Stewart as a squibber took on a mind of its own. The ball was cued off the end of the bat, held the line and kicked off of third base as Dave Maroul tracked it down in shallow left field. Stewart was just 180 feet from home with no one out. To make matters worse, Palazzolo threw a wild pitch to the backstop to move the runner to third with no one out. But Palazzolo found a way to get it done as he struck out the next two Mets. Saloman Manriquez was next and he ripped a ball back up the middle, but the lanky Palazzolo threw his glove behind his back as he fell off the mound towards first and picked the ball on the second bounce, threw on to first and ended the inning.

Palazzolo would throw a scoreless eighth as Osiris Matos came in for Connecticut in the ninth to nail down the win. Matos would retire the B-Mets in order and record his third save in as many tries as the Defenders won their fourth in a row, 1-0.

For Box Score, see:

BOXSCORE

Subcribe to MLN Sports Zone (SZ) the magazine of Minor League and Alternative Professional Sports for just $5.99! That's 50% off the full subscription price! Use discount code: BMR and SAVE 66% off of the Cover Price!!!