Indians Open Season With 7-2 Win
Seven Watertown Wild Pitches Help Indians

by Scott Montesano
Rome Indians Marketing Intern

(Watertown, NY) Brian Spinner went 2-3 with a double, and Blake Wyatt scattered fives hits over seven innings of work, as the Rome Indians opened their season Friday with a 7-2 win over the Watertown Wizards before 1,187 fans at the Alex. T. Duffy Fairgrounds.

The victory improved the Indians’ all-time record in Watertown to 9-0 and 14-3 overall against the Wizards.

Rome did not waste anytime getting on the scoreboard as the Indians took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Terron Acuff led off the season by getting hit in the forearm by Watertown starter Jason Shone. Acuff promptly stole second and third base.

Acuff then came into score on a wild pitch by Shone.

The wild pitch would prove to be a foretelling of things to come, and become a motif in the plot of the game.

By the time the game had ended, three Wizards’ pitchers had combined to throw seven wild pitches.

Rome added to the lead in the third inning, as Shone threw four wild pitches leading to four Indians’ runs.

The Indians would make it 6-0 in the fourth when Spinner would score from third base on a perfectly executed double steal.

Watertown cut into the lead in the fifth with two runs. Nevertheless, the Indians would ice the game in the sixth when Kevin Ryan walked with the bases loaded to make it 7-2.

Blake Wyatt went seven innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits and striking out five.

Nick DeMaro and Soren Johnson each threw an inning of scoreless relief.

The start of the game was delayed 20 minutes due to malfunctioning stadium speakers. Due to the lengthy delay, much of the life of the crowd was drained by the time the game had ended. Much of the large crowd had left the ballpark by the sixth inning.

The Indians’ road trip continues with a 3PM doubleheader at Hornell on Saturday. Then on Sunday Rome travels to Geneva for another 3PM doubleheader.

Rome’s home opener is Tuesday June 11 against Mohawk Valley at 7PM.