Rockland Boulders Fall, 9-6, To Pittsfield

The Rockland Boulders dropped the first contest of a four game series to the Pittsfield Colonials, 9-6, on Sunday afternoon in Can-Am League baseball action.

“We got in the hole early again but we battled back to make a game of it,” said Dave LaPoint, Boulders (2-2) manager. “Our pitchers will get
better.”

Pittsfield registered the game’s first run in the bottom of the first off Rockland starter John Muller. Colonials’ Jerod Edmonson started the bottom
half of the frame with a single, and later moved to third on a double from Matt Nandin. Edmonson then scored on a RBI single from Danny Bomback to give Pittsfield the 1-0 lead.

Rockland threatened in the top of the second loading the bases, however, could not get a run home as Ryan Mollica grounded into a fielder’s choice
to end the inning.

The Colonials picked up steam from getting out of the jam, and plated four in the bottom half of the second to take a 5-0 lead. Johnny Welch started the inning off with a single, which was then followed by a double from Billy Motram. With runners on second and third, Muller would walk Chris Torres to load the bases. Quentin Davis singled on a 0-2 count to plate Welch and Motram giving the Colonials a 3-0 advantage.

The Boulders battled back in the top of the third. John Fitzpatrick, who gave Todd Jennings a day off behind the plate, picked up Rockland’s first hit with a RBI single scoring Jermel Lomack from second. Dustin Smith, who reached on a walk, then snuck  home from third after a called strike three got away from the catcher Torres that brought the score to 5-2.

Pittsfield, though, put together another strong inning with a four-run bottom of the third, which was capped off by a RBI double from Nandin.

With the score 9-2 in favor of the Colonials, Rockland scored two in the top of the fourth capitalizing on walks and errors by the Pittsfield defense. The Boulders had another chance to cut into the 9-4 deficit in the top of the fifth, however, Mollca grounded out to second baseman Bomback with the bases loaded.

Rockland slowed down Pittsfield keeping them off the board in the fifth, and with back-to-back singles from Lomack and Dustin Smith, Fitzpatrick
and Norm Hutchins drove them both home with RBI singles to bring the score to 9-6.

The comeback fell short for the Boulders, as the loss drops them to 2-2 on the season. Casey Hodges goes on the bump for the Boulders today,
while Chad Paronto gets the nod for the Colonials.

“There is a lot of fight in us, but we need to trust ourselves and each other more,” said Rockland’s hitting coach, Damian Rolls. “We need to have fun playing this game, because we were all born to play.”

Game two is set for 2 p.m. at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, MA, and can be heard live on rocklandboulders.com. The Boulders are slated to have their home-opener June 16 at the new Provident Bank Park in Pomona in Rockland County.