by: Dan Gardella

Danbury – Danbury flexed their muscles once again, scoring in five straight innings on their way to the seven inning 12-7 victory over the New Bedford Bay Sox in game one of a Saturday doubleheader. 
 

With the game shortened to seven innings due to the doubleheader, it was important to score early and often. New Bedford got on the board first in the top of the first. Jack Winkler led off the ballgame with a walk and made it to third after another single and fly out to right to stand 90 feet away with one out. Alex Brickman would reach base on a fielder’s choice, scoring Winkler to give the Bay Sox the early lead. 
 

But following their 16-run, 22-hit performance against North Adams on Thursday, it would be difficult to keep the Danbury offense scoreless. After failing to score in the bottom of the first, the Westerners would take a build up a lead thanks to a three run second inning, two of them coming from Justin Jordan, who roped a single to center field scoring Alex Bello and Lyndon Weaver to make it 3-1 after two innings.  
 

After adding two more runs to their lead, Danbury looked to hold onto the lead as the game progressed into the middle innings. Starting pitcher Brian Rodriguez found himself in trouble as he gave up four runs, three coming from a three-run home run by Andrew Rapoza to tie the game at 5 at the midway point of the game. 
 

Danbury would respond in the bottom half of the inning as Jordan would continue his productive day at the plate. Using the warm weather to his advantage, the centerfielder would sky a solo shot to right field to give the Westerners the lead again. That home run would spark a four run inning for the Westerners to once again give them a comfortable lead. 
 

“I got a curveball on the inner part of the plate. When I hit it, I thought it was going way foul,” said Jordan. “It felt good but I didn’t think it was going out.”
 

The Westerners scored in innings two through six on their way to their fifth victory in their last six games. The win went to Christian Allegretti, his fourth of the season while the loss was charged to RJ Wagner.