Too Little, Too Late For Thunder

  
     Cooperstown (Tuesday)- The Thunder took on the Ohio Cardinals in a late morning game under partly cloudy skies with Ryan Murray on the mound.  Neither team scored in the first inning and Murray got out of a big jam in the second.  With the bases loaded, Noah Hammond caught a deep fly to center and threw out the runner at the plate, who had tagged up on the catch. The Thunder could not gain any momentum and went down in order in the third. Kenny Andrews came on to pitch and the Cardinals capitalized on 5 hits including a grand slam to run the score to 11-0. The Cards added one more in their half of the fifth.
     In the Thunder fifth, the bats came alive with 6 hits (Thilo, Jones, Hammond, Gulley, Cook, Buechner) and 6 runs. Ben Thilo hit another long home run and the lead was cut in half. That was all the Thunder could muster and the Ohio team hit another grand slam to seal the win 18-6.

Interesting facts and stats:
-Ben Thilo has a home run in each of the last two games
-Mercer had an unassisted double play at third
-Thunder parents were "punked" by an ump from Pittsburgh
-A thrown ball left the playing field and Noah Hammond was awarded home after Coach Phil conferred with the umpires. Pointing to Noah at 3rd, the ump yelled "You! Home!"
-Despite the loss, another gorgeous day at Cooperstown Dreams Park