Newark Bears ~ Worcester Bullpen Gets Clawed in Eighth

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY NINE

Brick City Roars in Season Opener

Newark Bears; CanAm League Opening Day

NEWARK BEARS:  The Urban Grizzlies Ride Strong Pitching and Timely Hitting to Second Straight Victory Over Worcester.

Newark's starting pitcher, Brian Parker, gave the Bears a second consecutive strong effort Friday to get this young season started on a most positive note.  In 6.2 innings pitched, he allowed Worcester two scattered runs and three hits in total.  He walked no batters and struck out seven. Brian exited the game in the seventh inning on the winning side of a 3-2 game.  But when the Tornadoes tied the game at three in the top of the eighth inning against Damian Sequen and Matt Fitton, Brian Parker's effort was regulated to no-decision status.

In the top of the eighth, Damian Sequen walked the lead-off batter, then welted the next hitter with a pitch.  A sac-fly put the tying run on third, which prompted Coach Oberkfell to make a change.  In came Matt Fitton.  Another sac-fly promptly scored the runner from third.  Jose Canseco then popped out to end Worcester's at-bat.


In the home eighth, the Bears growled back with three runs.  With one out, Quentin Davis singled and stole second.  Alex Bardeguez singled him home for the go ahead run.  Daryle Ward then bopped a two run home run to give Newark a 6-3 lead.


Jorge Vasquez was summoned to pitch the ninth for Newark.  He surrendered a solo home run to Tornadoes' third baseman, Johnny Welch, but finally closed out Newark's second victory in as many games.  Matt Fitton was credited with the win, and Vasquez the Save.


For Daryle Ward, this was his first home run of the season.  Burt Reynolds was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.  Only second baseman, Juan Martinez failed to get a hit off Worcester pitching.  Tornadoes' Jose Canseco was 0 for 4 at the plate as the DH and clean-up hitter.


The 6-4 final score of this game is somewhat misleading.  This was actually a well pitched contest by both teams.  Combined, both staffs only walked one batter, and combined for sixteen strikeouts.  In seventeen combined innings, all pitchers limited the respective line-ups to fourteen hits.


Both teams will do it again in Game Three of this Opening Day four game series tonight.

OPENING DAY SERIES

Bears Lead 2-0

I  -  NWK 9; WOR 2

II  -  NWK 6; WOR 4

GAME THREE

Worcester Tornadoes

vs.

NEWARK BEARS

From

THE DEN

Broad Street, Newark

Mike.BTB