After a one hour lightening and rain delay at the start of the game, the North Jersey Eagles came up with some lightning of their own to come out on top.

The Eagles rallied in the bottom of the 6th inning to tie the game at fours, then scored the winning run in the 8th inning and hold their ground to take the game 5 -4.

 Winning pitcher Nicholas Masterson, right handed pitcher from Coastal Carolina University, came in to the game in the 6th inning and got the win for the Eagles.  He pitched 31/3  innings and gave up no runs, one hit, two walks and three strikeouts.  The reliever is doing a good job for the Eagles, in five appearances, he has pitched 11 and 1/3 innings, has struck out 14 and walked only two, and is pitching to a stellar ERA  of 2.38.

The hitting heroes of the game were right fielded John Kukura and shortstop Paul Rufo. Kukura went three for four at bats with one run scored.  Shortstop Rufo had two hits of his own, one driving in a run.  Second baseman Matt Stalter also added to the hit parade with two hits of his own, including an RBI for a bases loaded walk in the 6th inning and the tie-breaker RBI in the 8th inning.

In the 6th inning, left fielder Andrew Murnane leads off the inning with a walk.  Ryan  Rivera followed with a base hit. Kukura drives in Murnane for the Eagles first run of the game with a base hit.  Luis Amaro follows with a base hit to load the bases.   The Tide, trying to stop the inning from getting out of hand, brought in Rosario DiLorenzo in for the starter Michael Macchia.  DiLorenzo did not fair batter, giving up a bases loaded walk to Rufo and then hitting Zach Tondi.  The Tide brings in Paul Mammino to face John Jennings.  Mammino strike outs Jennings for the first out of the inning.  Stalter  works out a walk to drive in the tying run.  The inning ended with a double play.

Going into the bottom of the 8th, Rufo started the inning with a base hit, but was eliminated when Zach Tondi grounded into a double play.   With two outs, John Jennings reaches first safely by an error by the Tides first baseman.  Jennings gets a great jump and steals second.  Stalter comes up big with a clutch two-out single driving Jennings home.  In the top of the ninth, Masterson gets the leadoff batter to ground out to second, he walks Sean Mazzio.  Chris Smith decides to call in his closer, Jordan Fontenelle, to close the game.  Things looked like they were going to backfire on the Eagles as Fontenelle walked the first two batters he faced.  Jordan bears down and induces Charles Misiano to pop out to first, and then followed that with a three pitch strikeout.  This was Jordan’s third save of the season.

Next home game at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park NJ will be on Saturday  June 27th  at 1pm against the Lehigh Valley Catz.  Hope to see you there.