Fowler sets franchise record in win

TRENTON >> As he ripped an offering from lefty Brandon Waddell into the right field corner, Dustin Fowler speeded toward Trenton Thunder history.

Fowler dove head first into third base safely for his 10th triple of the season, a new single-season franchise record. He later scored on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Higashioka, part of a 6-1 Thunder victory over Altoona to begin a four-game home stand Thursday night at Arm & Hammer Park.

Trenton (65-40), fresh off its highest two-game scoring output of the season in Portland, won its third straight to move to 25 games over .500 for the first time in 2016.

Lefty Jordan Montgomery turned in his seventh quality start of the season, hurling 6.1 innings without permitting an earned run. He struck out five and walked one while trimming his ERA to 2.55, good for second in the Eastern League.

The only run Montgomery allowed came on a throwing error by shortstop Cito Culver in the first inning, a miscue for which he and the Thunder quickly atoned.

Making his Double-A debut following a call-up from Tampa, second baseman Abiatal Avelino ripped a two-run double down the left field line in the bottom of the second for a 2-1 lead. Trenton retained it the rest of the way.

Culver, meanwhile, went on to bat 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.

In the fourth, Culver drove in Mark Payton with an RBI triple for a 4-1 cushion. He bolstered it in the eighth by pulling a high-arcing dinger near the foul pole in left field.

Culver also snagged a popup over his shoulder as he drifted into shallow left field to end an Altoona threat with runners on second and third in the fifth.

Fowler finished 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored on his historic night. His triple broke a three-way tie with Justin Christian (2006) and Tonayne Brown (2002), who each recorded nine triples in a season in Trenton.