Blue Sox Tied in Game Two with Play Suspended

After seven innings of hard-fought baseball, the sun set on the Lexington Blue Sox and Reading Bulldogs Thursday night and play was suspended with game two of their best-of-five semifinal series tied 2-2.

The postponement sets up a crucial and unconventional doubleheader in Lexington tonight, with the teams picking up right where they left off in game two, the start of extra innings, and then continuing on to play game three after.

On Thursday, the top-seeded Blue Sox (25-6-1) dug out of a 2-0 hole to tie the game, at 2-2, in the top of the sixth inning.

“I thought we had the momentum,” Blue Sox manager Rick DeAngelis said after the game was called at Reading High School, “but that’s baseball as they say.”

Natural light won’t be an issue in Lexington tonight, as action will begin at 8 p.m. under the lights.

With the Blue Sox leading the series 1-0 after their , a good night could propel them to the Intercity League finals and a shot at a record-setting fifth-straight title. However, a bad night could put the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (16-15-1) in the driver’s seat heading into a potential game four.

“This is as good as summer baseball gets,” Bulldogs manager Matt Morrison said. “It’s all about who’s going to crack first.”

In the sixth, Blue Sox shortstop Ross Curley reached first on a leadoff single to left field. Later in the inning, third baseman Chas Agrillo singled and then pinch hitter Nick Martinho, who had the game-winning hit in game one, got Curley home on a sacrifice fly.

With two outs and two on, second baseman Justin Wright singled to right field. Agrillo scored easily on the play to tie the game, but center fielder Pete Frates, who walked to reach base, was called out on a close play at the plate to end the inning.

“I thought he was safe,” DeAngelis said.

Frates thought he was too, as he slammed down his helmet in frustration after the call.

Blue Sox starter Drew Brzozowski gave up a run in the second and then again in the fourth. He allowed eight hits, while striking out five, in seven innings of work. DeAngelis said he was planning to go to his bullpen to start the eighth inning regardless of the delay.

First baseman Andrew Dewing and right fielder Andy Gagnon had the RBI for the Bulldogs, with catcher Zak Talis scoring both runs.

Derek Cotoni started for the Bulldogs and gave up six hits and six walks in six innings of work. He was relieved by Nick Kelley after the sixth, and Kelley is expected to stay on the mound to start the eighth.

Agrillo and catcher Jeff Vigurs had multi-hit games for the Blue Sox.