By Karen Boehler
Pecos League writer
ROSWELL -- It was night and day at Joe Bauman Stadium Thursday, not only literally -- as Roswell and Trnidad played a makeup late-afternoon/early evening doubleheader -- but in the way the teams split the two games.
The Triggers won the Wednesday carry-over game 7-3 on solid pitching while the Invaders both had pitching in game two, and took advantage of a plethora of Trigger errors.
For most of the opener -- which was supposed to be played Wednesday but was postponed after two innings because of a massive dust storm -- it looked like the only run the home team was going to get was a first-inning score from the original night.
Trinidad pitcher Dylan Porter gave up one run on nine hits and a walk through the eighth, while the Trigger defense kept all but one of those runners from scoring, and the offense tallied five runs through eight, then added two in the ninth for a 7-3 victory.
"I cant say enough about Dylan Porter," said Trinidad manager J.D. Droddy. "He had been in the rotation and he wasnt finding it and I put him in the pen. And the first time out of the pen he pitched well. So he actually started yesterday. He pitched the two good innings then he came back and finished the job. Thats nine innings in two days. Complete game. Pitched a little over 100 pitches between the two days. Just an awesome job. Awesome job. I cant say enough about him. And he even got a hit or two."
"He kept us off balance," agreed Invader manager Chris Ebright. "Him and the catcher were right on track with each other and those games youve just got to tip your hat and move on to the next one."
Roswell got on the board Wednesday night on first-inning singles by Chad Kruse and Ryan Normoyle, a sacrifice bunt by Roger Bernal and a sac fly by Vincent Mejia. But after that, the game was all Trinidad until the bottom of the ninth.
With Ed Kohout on the mound Thursday in place of Jacob Cook -- strictly because of pitch count -- the Triggers picked up where they left off Wednesday. With Jason Venya on first and Porter on second, Matt Hunt singled to load the bases, then Jacob Fabry put Trinidad on top with a 2-RBI double. One out later, the third run came in on a ground out and the Triggers never again trailed.
They added one run in the sixth when Sam DiMatteo singled and came home when Frank Florio tried to stretch a single into a double.
Matt Hunt singled off reliever Ryan Richardson to open the eighth, advanced on an error and scored on a DiMatteo single. Trinidad then added two final runs in the ninth when Andrew Azzopardi singled, Venya reached on an error and Hunt hit a 2 RBI single.
The Invaders got their first runs on the day in the ninth when Andrew Deeds and pinch hitter Mike McCarthy each singled; then, two outs later, a wild pitch and error brought two runs in.
Despite the late runs, Porter went the distance -- the first complete game for Trinidad this year -- with five strikeouts and only the first-inning run earned.
For the Invaders, the problem was not hits -- they had hits -- but timely hits,and nine runners left on base.
"I remember bases loaded, two outs, and Roger Bernal lined out to the third baseman," Ebright said. "We had first and second and big Danny Batista up, and he hit a hard ball, line-drive right to the second baseman and double play. Thats the game of baseball. A couple of feet either way and the score might have been totally different. But it was just one of those days. I think we were a little sleepy. We didnt come prepared for that first one, but we woke up for the second."
They certainly did, turning the tables on the Triggers.
"We played really well (Game 1), contrast to this last game we got nine errors," Droddy said. "We cant expect to win with nine errors. Thats all I can say."
"We took advantage of their errors and this game; we got hits when we needed to," Ebright said. "Eric Lambe did a good job. Chad Hardison came in and did what he was supposed to do and we had a couple of errors that gave them a few runs but overall, Ill take it."
After the Triggers put up one run in the first -- off a fielders choice, walk and Mike Goldy single -- Roswell went up 4-1 in the bottom of the stanza, getting only three hits but scoring on three errors.
"We gave them six outs in the first inning and it just went downhill from there," Droddy said. "The loss is not (starter Benji Waitess) fault. Its none of the pitchers fault. (Scott) Elitzky pitched fine, too. Our fielding was terrible and it happens. Im not going to say anything to the guys about it. They know what happened. This game goes in the category of forget about it, and thats what were going to do."
In addition to the errors and a walk, the Invaders got singles from Normoyle, McCarthy and Reggie Taylor. The Triggers added one run in the third on a Hunt double and DiMatteo single, then Roswell broke it wide open in the fourth, scoring six runs on four hits, two errors and a walk.
The hits came from Mejia and McCarthy, who each doubled, and Deeds and Lambe, with singles.
Trinidad got back on the board in the sixth, scoring two when Jacob Fabry singled and DiMatteo homered, but the Invaders added another four in the bottom of the stanza off inning opening singles by Batista and Deeds, three more Trigger errors and a dropped third strike.
Proving once again theyre never out of it, Trinidad scored two runs in the seventh -- the final inning of the doubleheader -- with singles from Fabry and DiMatteo and a two-run error.
The teams wrap up the four-game series Friday, with both managers looking for a victory.
"Wed like to win each series at home," Ebright said. "Wed like to win anywhere, but win the series at home and split on the road is what we like to try and do. Were going to come out and well play good baseball. Weve got Andrew Shoemaker going, and these guys are good Their better than they played today. So well get our minds right tomorrow and come back and play some good baseball."
"We would definitely like to get a split," Droddy said. "We think were as good a ball team as they are, and weve been playing on the road nearly all season so far. We get to play at home in June and July and we think well do better. I personally think were evenly matched with them. I think us, Las Vegas and Roswell are probably the top three teams in the league. Maybe with Alpine. I think those are the top four teams in the league and I think any of those four teams can beat any of the other three any time. And were going to split tomorrow."
