Originally posted on jerseypilots.com
Sunday June 26 was Ben Smookler Day at Snyder Avenue Park and
the Jersey Pilots managed to defeat the Lehigh Valley Catz in both games of a
doubleheader on the festive day.
The day, named in honor of longtime Pilots general manager and
owner Ben Smookler who died last year, included a pregame ceremony. Current
general manager Michael Kalb made a quick speech acknowledging the impact of
Smookler and announced the creation of a fund in Smookler’s name that will pay
for one player each summer to play with the Pilots.
In game one of the doubleheader, the Catz scored first with a
run in the top of the first, but John Scarr homered in the second inning to tie
the game.
The tie was not broken until the bottom of the sixth inning.
With two outs, Tom Marcinczyk doubled to put himself in scoring position. Greg
Kocinski then singled him in to put the Pilots up by one. An insurance run was
added when Malcolm Kelsey singled in Kocinski.
Taylor Parsons then came in for Pilots starter Matt Ratner, who
went six strong innings, and shut the Catz down in order to get the save.
In game two, the Pilots fell down early as the Catz scored three
runs in the top of the first and then added a fourth in the fourth. But the
Pilots turned the tables in in the fourth inning.
With one out, Marcinczyk, Scarr, Kelsey, and Colby Smith had
four consecutive hits to put the Pilots within one run of tying the game. Then,
consecutive singles by Noah Clark, Harrsion Walls, and Alex Wright put the
Pilots up by one run.
The Pilots added two insurance runs in the sixth inning when
Wright singled in Aidan Favia and Clark.
Tommy Giunta went six innings with four strikeouts and picked up
the win for the Pilots. Tyler Poulin earned the save with Wright leading the
way at the plate with two hits and three RBIs.
With the two wins, Jersey’s record is now 8-8-1. The Pilots next
play against the North Jersey Eagles at Overpeck Park on Tuesday before
returning home to play the Staten Island Tide on Wednesday.
Continue to check jerseypilots.com and @ACBL_Pilots on Twitter
for more updates on the team.
