Photo courtesy @AmandaMcCall

Senators 2, Thunder 0

• Caleb Clay gave the Senators everything they needed and more as the righthander threw a complete game shutout over the Trenton Thunder. Clay scattered three hits, walked three, and struck out nine batters. “I really can’t say enough about the effort,” manager Matt LeCroy, “He had it all and I’m just ecstatic about what that effort does for us as a club.”

• What made the difference tonight according to pitching coach Paul Menhart? “I think it was his attitude…His attitude from pitch number one was ‘I’m better than you’ and it showed. You could just see it in his demeanor.” Clay backed up his pitching coach, “I’m kind of a really easy-going guy and sometimes I got to have that extra push…That really helps when I have a little bit of an attitude.”

• Second baseman Ricky Hague and shortstop Sean Nicol flashed some serious leather throughout the game as both made spectacular plays in the field. “The middle infield was tremendous this evening,” lauded Menhart. Clay also pitched in with praise for the guys behind him, “Every good game that you see always involves great defense.”

• This was the first 9-inning complete game shutout for a Harrisburg pitcher since David Maust tossed one against the Bowie Baysox on August 18th, 2005.

• Clay has now struck out nine batters each of his last two starts after only having a previous career high of six.

• 6,352 fans packed into Metro Bank Park along with 150 dogs and one cat for one of their Bark in the Park games.

• Prior to the game, the Anthony Rendon promotion to Syracuse was made official. Reliever Matt Grace was called up from High-A Potomac to take his roster spot for Harrisburg.