Titans Double Up Boulders in Massive Series Opener

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE

Pomona, NY - Opening one of their biggest series of the year, the Ottawa Titans (42-39) won their fourth in a row with a 4-2 victory over the New York Boulders (44-36) on Friday - closing the gap to 2.5 games on the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Conference.

After leaving a pair of two-out singles aboard in the first against right-hander Blaine Traxel (loss, 1-2), the Titans put the first two on in the second and threatened. With a Justin Fogel single and a hit by pitch of Victor Cerny on base, Kaiden Cardoso crushed his fourth homer of the campaign out to right to make it 3-0 in the early going.

Alfredo Villa (win, 9-2) dominated through the first three innings, facing just one more than the minimum to keep the Titans ahead.

With a pitch-count sub 40 entering the fourth inning, the Boulders pounced the second time through their order to make it a one-run game. With Kyle Hess' leadoff hit by pitch at third following a wild pitch and throwing error, Jason Agresti's RBI groundout cut into the deficit. Later, the Boulders connected for three consecutive one-out hits, with Alfredo Marte rolling a run-producing ground ball into left field to make it 3-2.

Villa managed to escape the fourth inning by getting Enzo Apodaca to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. In the fifth, the Boulders loaded the bags with one out - in which Villa recorded two massive outs with an Agresti lineout and a Fritz Genther fielder's choice to keep the Titans in front by one.

The Titans' right-hander hurled a season-high seven-plus innings, allowing just two runs on five hits, walking two, hitting two, and striking out a pair for his team-leading ninth win of the year.

In the eighth, Cristian Inoa ripped a leadoff double against Traxel to stand in scoring position to open the frame. After a call to the bullpen, Grady Gorgen saw Fogel make it 4-2 with a sac fly to right, scoring Inoa. Fogel has now posted an RBI in three straight games.

Jon Beymer inherited one on in the bottom of the eighth, striking out a pair before issuing a free pass to Santino Rosso to put the tying run on base. With two outs, the Titans turned to Shane Gray (save, 9), who walked Alfredo Marte to load the bases - but the closer managed to escape the jam with a strikeout of Apodaca.

Working a four-out save in the opener, Gray stranded a walk in the ninth inning to clinch the victory in the road trip opener.

Jake Sanford, Cristian Inoa, and Justin Fogel all posted multi-hit nights in the win. AJ Wright doubled and walked, while Kaiden Cardoso homered and was hit by a pitch.

The Ottawa Titans continue a seven-game road trip with the second of a crucial three-game series against the New York Boulders on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. at Clover Stadium in Pomona, New York. After the series with the Boulders, the Titans will play four in Trois-Rivières. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and live-streamed on Frontier League TV, powered by HomeTeam Network.

For information on Ottawa Titans’ 2025 Single-Game Tickets, Group Outings, and 2026 ticket packages, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.