Knight, Bender one hit the Silkworms
MANCHESTER - A one hit performance from Adam Knight (Georgia State) and Jack Bender (Georgetown) gave the Pittsfield Dukes all they would need in a 6-1 victory at Northwest Park.Silkworm starter Brian Pendergast (Manhattan College) struggled in the first inning walking five Dukes hitters as Pittsfield would bat around in the inning. Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne College) hit an RBI double to right field and four batters later, Jake Rosenbeck (Buffalo) walked with the bases loaded to give Pittsfield the 2-0 lead. Jayson Langfels (Eastern Kentucky) then hit an RBI groundout to first baseman Jeff Cammans (University of Rhode Island) who made a diving stop and flipped to the pitcher covering for the out.
Dukes starter Adam Knight was given a 3-0 lead to work with it before he even threw a pitch. He would walk the leadoff hitter A.J. Rusbarsky (Seton Hall University), to start the inning but struck out the next two hitters he faced. Mark Micowski (University of Vermont) hit a groundball behind 3rd base that got past Jayson Langfels and into left field. The play was ruled a double by the official scorer, and it proved to be the only hit for the Silkworms in the ballgame. Rusbarsky scored on a wild pitch from Knight to score the lone Silkworms run.
In the second inning, the Dukes would take the 5-1 lead on a two run single from Rosenbeck to left field. The Buffalo student athlete finished 1 for 3 with two walks and three runs batted in.
Knight responded by retiring the Silkworms in order in the second, one of three such occasions in the game. Both starting pitchers would settle down from the third inning on. Pendergast retired 13 of the last 14 hitters he faced, pitching himself through seven innings.
Knight would pitch six innings on the evening, allowing just one run and one hit as he walked five and struck out five. Jack Bender (Georgetown) would come into the game and pitch the final three innings for the save. Bender walked the leadoff hitter in the 7th and 8th innings, but turned double plays in both innings to preserve the victory.
With the one hit win, the Dukes improve to 19-11 on the season and sit 3 ½ games up on the Newport Gulls in frist place in the Southern Division, Pittsfield will host the Torrington Twisters tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at six o’clock. Alex MacKenzie (Canisius) and Mike Woytek (Wright State) as the probable starters for the Dukes tomorrow night. The Twisters and Dukes will play two games, each scheduled for seven innings, and then STAR 101.7 FM and WBRK AM 1340 will sponsor the fireworks show after the second game.
Fans can listen to the game to and all Pittsfield Dukes games on the NECBL Broadcast Network by going to the site at http://www.teamline.cc/
Tickets are still available for Dukes’ games at Wahconah Park. Tickets can be purchased at the Dukes box office at 105 Wahconah Street or by calling 413 447 DUKE (3853)
