Baseball Review // East Hartford Jets, 6 Record-Journal Expos, 7 at Ceppa Field, Meriden CT June 4th 2024 (GHTBL)

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Official box score ::: https://ghtbl.org/event/expos-jets-4

Additional photos can be found here ::: 

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The Jets were going into this game without a win, sitting at 0-3, and that made it feel like they were due and couldn't be on this long of a losing streak.   The Expos were at 1-1 and it felt like they needed this win just as badly to go to 2-1, as opposed to sinking to 1-2.  So even though we're in the second week of the season and less than five games in, this just felt like it had those high stakes.    As such, the score reflected that and it was a bit of a nail-biter up until the end.

In the top of the first inning, with two outs, Corey Plasky came across the plate for the first Jets run, as Adam Dadinos doubled him in.   The Expos would put up a run of their own in the bottom of the first, as Sebby Grignano walked, went to second on a wild pitch, took third base on an AJ Hendrickson single and then Luke DiMauro went to first base on a wild pitch and Sebby Grignano came home.

The second inning saw no runs scored and we were all tied up 1-1.   The bottom of the third inning would be key for the Expos as they scored three runs to give them a 4-1 lead.  Hector Gonzalez, Will Kszywanos and Luke DiMauro all drew walks to load the bases.  A sac fly out to right field would bring in Hector Gonzalez.   A nice shot by Luis Delgado would drive in two more runs to put the Expos ahead.

Cole Lalli would lead off the fourth inning with a homerun, which put the score at 4-2.  In the fifth inning, Jess Criscuolo would cross the plate to put up another Jets run, cutting it down to 4-3.   This felt like the Jets of old- just seeing them hit it where no one is and then hustle around the bases to score because they needed to catch up.   

The sixth inning saw the Jets pull ahead as they scored three runs of their own.   A sac fly would bring in the first run, and then a deep shot to center field which appeared to bounce off the outfielder's glove drove in two more runs.   Heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Jets were up 6-4 but this was still anybody's ball game.

The Jets dropped a ball out in deep right field and so that put runners on 1st and 2nd for the Expos in the bottom of the sixth.  Runners would advance on a wild pitch, Sebby Grignano singled and then an error to first base had Luis Delgado and Evan Wilkinson score.   Luke DiMauro would double in Sebby Grignano to give the Expos the lead and the final score of 7-6.

This was one of those games where it wasn't over until it was over.  Brendan O'Connell came in during the fifth inning and closed it out for the Expos, but those final three outs of the seventh inning were tense.   The Expos did what needed to be done though, pulled it off and improved their record to 2-1.

The rain looks like it might hold off as the Expos welcome the Jets back to Ceppa Field on Thursday night.   The Jets played on Wednesday night and suffered a loss to the Middletown Mets, 11-6, so they sit at 0-5 now and that elusive first win seems to inevitable.   The Expos would hope to improve to 3-1 and then meet the undefeated (as of now) Vernon Orioles next Monday.