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Connecticut and Portland combine for a franchise-record 33 runs as the Defenders rally for a win.

By DAN HICKLING/Special to the Press Herald July 30, 2007

The Connecticut Defenders scored six runs in the eighth inning to break a 13-13 tie and went on to defeat the Portland Sea Dogs 20-13 Sunday before a crowd of 7,037 at Hadlock Field.

"It was a hitfest, man," said left fielder Jeff Corsaletti, who had four of Portland's 16 hits in the 3-hour, 42-minute marathon. "They put up numbers and we (had) to respond. We did most of the time, but that six-spot late in the game really hurt us."

Portland starter Charlie Zink was charged with 12 earned runs and Connecticut starter Dave McKae gave up 10. Neither was around long enough to earn a decision in a game that produced some staggering statistics, including a franchise record for most runs in a game.

Portland pitchers gave up four home runs, including two to Tyler Von Schell and another to Julio Cordido, who went 4 for 6 and knocked in seven runs.

Corsaletti, Dusty Brown and Jay Johnson each knocked in three runs for the Sea Dogs, and every batter on both teams had at least one hit.

"It was just one of those wild games," said Portland center fielder Bubba Bell, who witnessed some high-scoring games with Lancaster in the California League before being promoted to Portland. "Guys have asked me how they scored 30 runs (in a game at Lancaster), and here at Hadlock we gave up 20. It was really similar to a Cal League game."

Portland took its final lead in the third inning after scoring five runs to make it 11-8. Jay Johnson knocked in two of those with a double high off the Maine Monster in left, a drive that came within a foot of leaving the park.

Connecticut reclaimed the lead, 13-11, in the fifth with Von Schell's first homer, which came off reliever Andrew Dobies.

The Sea Dogs tied the game in the sixth on Corsaletti's two run double, but the last-place Defenders, who won 3 of 5 at Portland this weekend, were far from done, rallying in the eighth against Chris Jones (0-1), who was just called up from Class A Greenville and was making his Double-A debut.

"If you give me 11 runs in the first three innings, then told me we'd be coming from behind, I'd have been laughing at you," Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler said.

Reliever Osiris Matos (5-0) went three innings and got the win.

NOTES: The Sea Dogs placed left-hander Daniel Haigwood on the disabled list (leg muscle strain) and right-hander Barry Hertzler on the temporary inactive list. Hertzler had been demoted from Triple-A Pawtucket on July 27 but failed to report to Portland.

Those moves allowed the Sea Dogs to promote Jones and activate Zink from the disabled list, where he had been since July 20 (leg muscle).