When it rains, it pours.
The hearty fans at Lou DeFilippo Field might have been thinking that as they watched gray skies produce some wet weather during Friday’s baseball game. In the end, the Platt Tech Panthers were the ones who may have needed the umbrellas.
A solid effort on the mound by starting pitcher Ray Kreiger and an explosive sixth inning resulted in a 15 – 0 blowout victory for the Raiders.
After going scoreless in their first two innings, the Raiders put a run on the board in the third when left fielder Brian Dobek hit a double off of Platt Tech’s George Bakshys to drive home catcher Colin Haydu. Dobek came home a batter later on a double by shortstop Michael Ippolito.
The Raiders doubled their lead in the fifth inning. Leadoff hitter and center fielder Hector Vazquez reached base after being hit by a pitch and stole second. Derby pitcher Ray Kreiger supported his own cause, driving Vazquez in with a single. Two batters later, Angelo DiSorbo chased Kreiger home with a double.
DiSorbo would later provide the signature hit of the 11-run sixth, hitting a bases-clearing triple to widen the lead to 10 – 0. DiSorbo finished his day 2‑for‑3 with 4 RBI in four plate appearances. “It didn’t look like we could produce that much, but we did,” said the designated hitter.
DiSorbo said he wanted to make amends for striking out in his first plate appearance in the second inning. “The first (at-bat) got to me. I was upset that I struck out. So I had that in the back of my mind. I knew I had to hit the ball,” he said.
Kreiger went six innings for the Raiders, allowing just two hits and striking out six Panthers en route to the win. He also supplied three hits and two RBI for the 2 – 0 Raiders.
“I felt I was throwing pretty well today. I had my fastball working,” Kreiger said. “Our team really hit the ball well today. We started off slow, then we picked up some speed.”
The Raiders will play next at 3:45 p.m. Monday, hosting Holy Cross of Waterbury.