Spinners Slam Tigers, 10-3

Jordan Pearce banged out a two-run double, but it was too little, too late
as the Connecticut Tigers dug themselves a 10-run hole and ultimately
dropped a 10-3 decision to the Lowell Spinners on Monday night.

By Rich Haskell

NORWICH – Garrett Benge went five-for-five—just a home run short of a cycle—and the Lowell Spinners hammered out 17 hits to trounce the Connecticut Tigers, 10-3, before 1,302 fans at Dodd Stadium on Monday night. Benge was in the middle of two four-run explosions for the Spinners, with an RBI double in the top of the first inning and a two-run triple in the fifth. In all, the 21-year-old third baseman from Yukon, Okla., had a monster night, finishing with three singles, a double, a triple, and five runs batted in.

Down 10-0 in the eighth, the Tigers finally got on the board by stringing together singles by Cole Peterson, Luke Burch and Garrett McCain. A two-run double by Jordan Pearce closed out the scoring.

Lowell’s Enmanuel DeJesus threw 5.1 innings of shutout ball to earn his second win of the season, while Connecticut starter Jose Vasquez (1-2) was tagged for eight runs in 4.0 innings and suffered the loss for Connecticut.

Red Sox third-round pick Brett Netzer went 3-for-5 with three runs scored for the Spinners to raise his average to .328. Burch, McCain, Pearce and Colby Bortles had two-hit apiece in a losing effort for the Tigers.

Matt Manning will take the mound tonight for the Tigers as the series wraps up tonight at The Dodd. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.