TRENTON, N.J. — Chad Zurat of Clearfield was near-perfect in his first appearance for the New Britain Rock Cats of the Class AA Eastern League Tuesday night, pitching a clean ninth inning to close out a 7-1 victory over the Trenton Thunder in front of 3,453 fans in Arm & Hammer Park.
The right-hander needed only nine pitches, seven of them strikes, to set down the Thunder via two groundouts and a flyout.
Justin Morneau, the Rock Cats’ designated hitter on his rehab assignment, blasted a three-run homer to give starter and winner Harrison Musgrave a 5-1 cushion in the seventh inning and added a two-run double, his third hit, in the ninth.
Though eliminated from the Eastern Division playoff chase, New Britain is riding a four-game winning streak for a 65-69 record.
Zurat has not given up a run in 10.2 innings spanning his last six outings, including three with Grand Junction in the Pioneer Rookie League and Boise in the Class A Short Season Northwest League.
He’s allowed only four hits while striking out six and walking five during that run that has dropped his earned run average to 3.68 from a season-high 4.86.
In 18 appearances overall, Zurat (4-3) has surrendered 50 hits and 25 runs, 18 earned, with 17 strikeouts, 16 walks and three hit batsmen.