The Bears get in the win column on a hot and humid night at Bob Moore. Bears pitcher Rob Bialkowski outdueled Pirates pitcher Jim Johnson and pick up the 6-4 win.

The Bears drew first blood taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a hit, a walk and a two-RBI double by Bialkowski. The Pirates came right back with two in the second on singles by Keith Freeman and Jim Quinn, combined with an error to load the bases. Joe Carreccia drew a walk and a Bill Bowles hit a sac-fly to LF to tie the game at 2-2. The Bears went 1-2-3 in the second and third and the Pirates picked up an unearned run when Rob Currier booted another ball at SS with one out and then Keith Freeman struck again with a two-out RBI double to give the Pirates the 3-2 lead.

The Bears came storming back with four runs in the fourth inning when with one out, the Bears put five straight players on base safely. Curt Tucker started it with a one-out single and Dean Rowe followed with a walk. Rob Bialkowski singled sharply to LF and the bases were loaded for Darren Foote. Foote worked the count to 3-2 and fouled off a couple of pitches and was HBP after an 8-pitch AB making the score 3-3. Austin Blum followed with a sharp double to RCF plating Rowe and Bialkowski for a 5-3 lead. Joe Montemarano followed with an RBI groundout to 2B and the Bears led 6-3.

Another costly error by Rob Currier led to another run in the sixth but Bialkowski worked through the remainder of the game including leaving the bases loaded in the fifth inning and hung on for the 6-4 victory.

Offensive standouts for the Bears include:

Stu Howells: 1-for-3, SB, R
Curt Tucker: 2-for-3, 2B, R, SB
Dean Rowe: 1-for-1, 2 BB, 2 R, SB
Rob Bialkowski: 2-for-3, 2B, R
Austin Blum, 1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI
Darren Foote and Joe Montemarano: each had an RBI

Rob Bialkowski went the distance for the following pitching line: 7 IP, 4 R, 1 ER, 10 H, 2 BB, 8 K (W)

Up next for the Bears is a Monday game against the Warriors at Bob Moore while the Pirates play tomorrow night against the Yankees.