Early Runs, Quality Start Guide Titans to Victory

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE

Augusta, NJ - Opening the second half of the season, the Ottawa Titans (33-23) thumped the Sussex County Miners (21-37) by an 11-3 final on Friday, snapping their four-game slide.

The opener started with a bang, as Jackie Urbaez took right-hander Tyler Thornton (loss, 5-5) deep over the right field wall in the top of the first to open the scoring. It marks the fourth time this season that the Titans have led off the game with a homer - the second time off courtesy of Urbaez.

In the second, the Titans notched another to double the lead - seeing Taylor Wright snap a 0-for-19 with an RBI single to right.

The early run support was plenty for Shane Gray (win, 4-3) - who retired the first seven in a row that he faced and nine of the first ten Miners that came to the plate.

With the bases juiced in the third, Jake Guenther singled home a run before Aaron Casillas plated on a wild pitch. Later, Jamey Smart recorded his team-leading 39^th RBI of the year with a ground ball and Lamar Briggs notched an RBI single to centre.

In the fourth, the Titans poured it on with a two-out rally. After knocking Tyler Thornton out of the game after three, Jimmy Boyce retired the first two of the fourth inning before a pair of hits set up a run to score on a balk - before a second RBI single from Jake Guenther added another and then the sixth homer of the year from Brendan O'Donnell made it a 10-0 game.

As for Gray, the righty worked three hitless innings before leaving singles aboard in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.

With a pair out in the seventh, Jason Agresti spoiled the shutout bid - as a two-run homer got the home side on the board.

Gray exited after seven quality innings, his sixth of the season, allowing just two runs, on six hits, walking one, and striking out three for his fourth win of the season.

Taylor Wright blasted his first homer in nearly two months to open up the eighth inning, taking Ronnie Voacolo yard for his third long ball of the season.

With a scoreless inning from Kyle White, newcomer Zane Robbins allowed a run on two hits in the ninth - closing the door on a Titans series-opening win.

Jake Guenther went 4-for-5 with two RBI while six other starters in the Titans' lineup recorded hits. AJ Wright extended his hit streak to six in a row by going 2-for-5 with a double.

The Ottawa Titans continue their six-game road trip, playing game two of a three-game set against the Sussex County Miners on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. from Skylands Stadium in Augusta, New Jersey. After three against the Miners, the Titans head to Pomona, New York for a three-game series against the New York Boulders. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and 94,5 Unique FM and live-streamed on Flo Baseball.

For information on tickets, group outings, and nine-game mini packs, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.