MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – ABERDEEN, MD --- Jake Smolinski went 3-for-3 with two runs, Derek Norris added a solo home run and WIll Atwood tossed six scoreless innings as the Vermont Lake Monsters shutout the Aberdeen Ironbirds 5-0 in New York-Penn League action Thursday night at Ripken Stadium.

The Lake Monsters jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Smolinski smashed a one-out triple to right center and scored on a Danny Espinosa sacrifice fly for the first run, while Norris launched a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for his ninth home run of the season.

Chris Solis led off the third inning with a double and later scored on a ground ball by Espinosa for Vermont’s third run, while Norris scored Smolinski with a sacrifice fly for an unearned run in the fifth for a 4-0 advantage. Norris then got his third RBI of the night in the seventh inning with an RBI single to center field scoring Marcus Jones, who had opened the inning with a double.

While the Vermont offense was putting five runs on the scoreboard, Atwood (2-1) was putting up zeroes on the Aberdeen side. The Lake Monsters left-hander picked up his second win of the season by shutting down the Ironbirds on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts over the six shutout innings.

Atwood gave up two-out singles in the second and third innings, then struckout the side after giving up leadoff single in the fifth. The only inning that Aberdeen got two runners on base against Atwood was in the sixth when he gave up a two-out single to Greg Miclat and Caleb Joseph reached on a Steve Souza throwing error at third base before retiring Tyler Kolodny on a flyout.

Reliever Carlos Peralta gave up a hit and a walk with a strikeout in his two scoreless innings, while
Kevin Light walked one in a hitless ninth inning of relief. The three Vermont pitchers combined for two walks and 10 strikeouts in the five-hit shutout, the third of the season for the Lake Monsters.

Cole McCurry (7-3) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts in five innings for the loss, while T.J. Baxter had two of the Ironbirds five hits on the night. Aberdeen (32-35) has now lost five of its last six and eight of its last 11 games.

Vermont (28-37), which has won five of its last seven games after snapping a six-game losing streak, will play the rubber game of the three-game series at Aberdeen on Friday night with Pat McCoy scheduled to start for the Lake Monsters.

Box Score: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_28_verasx_abeasx_1

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