BROCKTON, MA – LHP Craig Anderson returned to the Brockton starting rotation for the first time since 2005 on Monday night in New Hampshire and turned in a terrific outing to pick up his first win for the Rox this season.  Anderson held the American Defenders of New Hampshire to one run on five hits over six innings.  He struck out three and walked one in Brockton’s 7-5 win.

New Hampshire scored the first run of the game in the first inning on an RBI groundout by 2B Boomer Berry.  However the Rox offense jumped out in front with a three-run fourth inning propelled by DH Palmer Karr’s second home run of the season, a two-run shot on the first pitch he saw from Defenders’ reliever RHP JR McAllister.  McAllister had just entered the game for Defenders’ starter LHP Chad Bentz who left with an undisclosed injury after recording the first out of the third inning.

Brockton scored again in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI double by 2B Melvin Falu, and tallied two more times in the sixth to take a commanding 6-1 lead.

New Hampshire came back with three runs in the seventh inning and one in the eighth off of the Rox bullpen, but closer RHP Jerry Dunn pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his first save of the 2009 season.

The Rox captured the first game of the three-game series which now heads back to Brockton for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Brockton will send RHP Wayne Lundgren (0-1, 6.23 ERA) to face LHP Luis Ramos (0-0, 0.00).  Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM.