CAN-AM: Ottawa Splits Doubleheader With Sussex County

Posted on By Richard A. Whittaker

Ottawa, ON – The Sussex County Miners turned heartbreak into triumph in a roller-coaster doubleheader versus the Ottawa Champions.

After an 8-7 walk-off Ottawa win in game one, Sussex County Miners starting pitcher Jamie Walczak threw a no-hitter in the second game of the doubleheader, leading his team to a 4-0 victory.

Walczak walked Sebastien Boucher in the first inning and again in the seventh but no other Champion reached base in the game. Walczack needed just 81 pitches to complete the seven-inning game and 52 of those pitches were strikes. He struck out five batters in the game. The no-hitter is the first in the Miner’s history.

The Miners bats provided two runs in the first inning with an RBI triple from CF Reggie Abercrombie and an RBI single from 1B Kenny Bryant in the next at bat. LF Johnny Bladel added a run in the second and Bryant scored again in the fifth this time on a double from RF Chris Valencia.

Ottawa manager Hal Lanier was ejected from the second game after arguing a close call on a stolen base. Pitching coach Billy Horn assumed the manager’s duties for the rest of the game.

The Champs won the series in the first game of the double header on a wild pitch walk off in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Champions tied the score at six in the bottom of the sixth as CF Sebastien Boucher scored on a sacrifice fly from DHMatt Tenaglia. The scored stayed there until the top of the eighth when SS Cory Morales hit a sac fly of his own to score 1BKenny Bryant and give the Miners the 7-6 lead. But in the bottom of the inning, 1B Jon Talley blasted a ground rule double that scored Boucher and put LF Mike Schwartz on third. In the next at bat, Schwartz scored on a wild pitch to end the game.

Boucher was one of six Champions to have multi-hit games including RF Chris Winder who had a game-high three hits. For the Miners, CF Reggie Abercrombie went 2-for-4 with three RBI and C Jayson Hernandez added two RBI and two hits.

The Champions head into a day off on Sunday, before returning to RCGT Park to play the defending champion Rockland Boulders on Monday night. Purchased tickets on the Ottawa Champions website.