The Trenton Thunder offense came to life Friday night, powering past the Mahoning Valley Scrappers with a 9-4 win in the series opener at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
Trenton jumped out to an early lead in the third inning with an RBI single by John Schroeder that scored Jackson Tucker, followed by a sacrifice fly from Donovan Cash that brought home newcomer Jackson Van De Brake.
The bats stayed hot in the fourth as Trenton added four more runs. Schroeder delivered again with another RBI single to score Cameron Yuran, and Cash cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to give the Pork Roll a commanding 6-0 lead. Cash finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs and was named the Hyatt Regency Princeton Thunder Player of the Game.
Mahoning Valley got on the board in the fifth, but Trenton quickly responded with two more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Van De Brake tripled in a run, and Connor Maryniak followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 8-1. In the sixth, Yuran added one final insurance run with an RBI single that scored Billy Sullivan.
The Scrappers scored once in the sixth and added two more in the seventh, but the comeback fell short.
The series continues Saturday at 6 p.m. with Women in Sports Night at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. Former Thunder Head Groundskeeper Nicole Sherry will be inducted into the Trenton Baseball Hall of Fame during the evening’s festivities. For ticket information visit trentonthunder.com
