Bound Brook, NJ - The Somerset Clippers improve to 13-3 and with a Edison loss are now tied for 1^st place with a sweep of their DH on Sunday, which consisted of two 9 inning games at Billian Field on Sunday morning, by the scores of 6-2 and 14-8. The shorthanded Clippers battled, with just 10 players for Game 1 and 9 players for Game 2

In Game 1, The Clippers faced the Union Stellar Cats and the Cats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on the Clippers after 3 ½ innings of play.

In the bottom of the 4^th, the Clippers score three runs to take the lead 3-2. Brian Stanton and Kevin Farrell led the inning off with back to back singles and Jared Fowler singled in Stanton for the first run. Jose Pinto followed up with a RBI on a fielder’s choice and Mike McCrea gave the Clippers the lead with a RBI single.

The score stayed 3-2 going into the bottom of the 7^th. With two outs, Dave Cascone worked a walk and Luis Rivera reached on an error, giving the Clippers 1^st and 2^nd and two outs. Brian Stanton hit a laser off the 3^rd baseman, scoring Cascone to give the Clippers a 4-2 lead.

In the 8^th, the Clippers scored two runs on a two out 2-run single by George Tomasello, increasing the lead to 6-2 and sealing the victory for the Clippers.

Jared Fowler was incredible on the mound, giving up two runs while striking out 18 Stellar Cats in route to the victory.

In Game 2, The Clippers faced the Middlesex Twins, who the Clippers defeated opening day in a thriller 8-7. Jose Pinto started the game on the mound for the Clippers and quickly surrendered a run in the first inning, giving the Twins a 1-0 early lead. The Clippers answered with two in the bottom of the first inning on a two run HR by Jared Fowler.

The Twins would not go away and scored 4 unanswered runs and we leading 5-2 going into the bottom of the 4^th inning.

In the 4^th, George Tomasello singled with one out. Freddie Castro and Pete Trentacosta followed with walks and the Clippers had the bases loaded one out. Luis Rivera promptly singled to CF, driving home two runs, cutting the lead to 5-4. After Brian Stanton walked, Kevin Farrell singled to CF tying the game at 5-5. Jared Fowler followed up with a two run single and Mike McCrea had a RBI single, completing the 6 run inning, giving the Clippers the led 8-5.

With the score 8-6 in the bottom of the 5^th inning, the Clippers scored three more runs. Luis Rivera drove home Freddie Castro with an RBI ground out and Jared Fowler drove home two more runs, giving him 6 RBI on the game. The Clippers were now up 11-6.

The Twins score two more runs and cut the lead to 11-8. In the 8^th inning, the Clippers once again rallied behind Mike McCrea’s 2 RBI double and Pete Trentacosta’s RBI single. The Clippers led 14-8.

Jose Pinto threw a complete game, giving up 3 earned runs while striking out 7 batters for his first win on the mound this season.

The Clippers were severely shorthanded Sunday afternoon, however, they battled throughout the day with the warriors that were able to make the game. 18 innings of baseball and 90 degrees of heat later, they complete a sweep of this unique double header and now head into a showdown with the 13-3 Edison A’s for first place and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers and the A’s face off in Edison on July 13. The schedule gods knew what they were doing. Please come out and support your Somerset Clippers in two weeks and witness this potentially great matchup, which is sure to be a preview of their upcoming battle in the playoffs.

GAME NOTES:

-          - Jared Fowler threw a complete game with 18 strikeouts Game 1 and in Game 2, caught 8 innings ( as noted by Pinto ), went 5-5 with 6 RBI, including a HR to left field that landed in Dunellen. After 30 drinks the night before, we are convinced that he is not human.

-          - Pinto rivaled Fowlers feat, pitching 9 innings and catching 9 innings, while attending the same party Fowler was at the night before. While Pinto could not come close to Fowler’s legendary drinking Saturday night, he did catch one more inning then Fowler and is still the lizard king. He can do anything.

-          - Props to the Lady Clippers, who endured the weekend, specifically Sunday’s 18 inning double header. They are the strength behind this crazy group.

-         - The base running bloopers continue. The boys have to clean that up before the playoffs start or their manager will eventually be carted off in an ambulance.