BROCKTON, Mass. (August 14, 2026) – Trotter Harlan delivered a go-ahead infield single in the top of the tenth inning, and Greg Martinez closed it out in the bottom half, lifting the Down East Bird Dawgs to a 7-6 victory over the Brockton Rox at Campanelli Stadium Friday night and opening the series with a win.

Brockton jumped out to a 2-0 lead on back-to-back RBI doubles from John Cristino and Evan Sleight before the Bird Dawgs tied it in the second on a Kenny Levari RBI single and a Harlan sacrifice fly.

Derek Bender's solo homer put the Rox back in front in the third, but Down East answered immediately in the fourth as Harlan delivered a two-run single and Jacob Corson added an RBI single to take a 5-3 lead.

Levari added an RBI triple in the fifth to push it to 6-3 before Eddie Javier Jr. launched a three-run homer to tie it at 6-6.

The game remained deadlocked until the tenth when Harlan came through again, hitting a go-ahead infield single to take the 7-6 win.

Rolando Heredia-Bustos made his return from injury, allowing three runs on six hits over three innings with three strikeouts and one walk. Kendall Lyons (2-1) earned the win, delivering two hitless innings with four strikeouts and one walk in the eighth and ninth. Greg Martinez collected the save with a scoreless tenth.

Jimmy Gilleran started for Brockton, allowing six runs on 11 hits over 4⅔ innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Brenden Bell (1-2) took the loss, surrendering an unearned run in the tenth over two innings with five strikeouts and no walks.

The Bird Dawgs (37-45) look to clinch the series Saturday, August 15, at Campanelli Stadium.