HUGUET STRIKES OUT 11, BUT SURF COME UP SHORT, 17-2
August 20 Recap

Atlantic City, N.J. – Atlantic City starter J.C. Huguet fanned 11 Brockton hitters in just five and two-thirds innings, including nine of the first 12 he faced, but it was not enough as the Surf fell to the Rox, 17-2, in a Can-Am League contest at Bernie Robbins Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The game was tied 1-1 until the fifth, when Brockton exploded for two in the fifth, three in the third, five in the seventh, a single run in the eighth and five more in the ninth. Atlantic City’s lone runs came in the fourth, on an RBI single by 3B Gil Zayas, and in the sixth, on C William Plaza’s RBI groundout.

All 11 of Brockton’s position players who appeared in the game had hits, for a total of 19 base knocks. The Rox were led by league batting average leader 2B Melvin Falu, who went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI. C Lee Rubin also chipped in with a 3-for-4 evening, hitting two doubles, bringing home three runs and scoring three more. Eugene Julien, in his only at-bat of the evening, hit a pinch-hit three-run home run in the ninth inning, his first of the season. 3B Eduardo Rios, DH Phillip Cuadrado and LF Jud Thigpen each had two hits apiece; Rios and Thigpen also had home runs.

For the Surf, CF Josh Burrus was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

Brockton starter Wayne Lundgren (9-3) was the beneficiary of the abundance of run support. The Australian limited Atlantic City to two runs in seven innings of work, striking out four. Huguet (8-7) earned the loss, allowing five earned runs.

With the loss, the Surf (20-14) fall to second place in the second half, a half-game behind Sussex (21-14). The Skyhawks defeated visiting Quebec, 4-2, to take sole possession of first place. Atlantic City finds itself percentage points ahead of the Capitales (21-15) and Worcester (21-15), which beat New Jersey, 7-4. With the fifth-place Jackals’ loss, the Surf’s magic number is seven to clinch a playoff spot.

The two teams meet in the rubber game of the set on Thursday evening at 7:05 p.m. Brian Rodaway (9-7) is on the bump for Atlantic City, while Mike Smith (1-0) hurls for the Rox.