Game Recaps 6/4: Kinston Cook's up another win

Clayton Cook (Photo: Tony Lastoria)

Four Home Run Game Gives Kinston an 8-1 Win

Kinston blasted four homers to beat Winston-Salem 8-1 Saturday night at BB&T Ballpark in Winston-Salem. The home run total set a season high and came against the league's best home run hitting team. It was the most round trippers Kinston has hit in a game since they put up six against Myrtle Beach on April 25th, 2010. With the win the K-Tribe (28-26) has now won 14 of their last 18 games. Kinston ends the night 3 ½ games back of first place Myrtle Beach.

Down 1-0 going into the second inning, Adam Abraham drew a one-out walk from Winston-Salem's starting pitcher Ryan Buch. Abner Abreu then hit his fourth home run of the season. The shot to left field gave Kinston a 2-1 lead. Jeremie Tice got into the long ball act in the top of the fourth inning, sending a shot over the outfield seating in right field. It was Tice's second home run of the season, both bombs coming since he was taken off the DL on May 21st. The shelling continued in the top of the fifth inning. After Roberto Perez legged out an infield single, Tyler Cannon hit his first home run in the Carolina League. The former University of Virginia star's big hit put Kinston up 5-1. Later in the inning, after a Tyler Holt walk, Casey Frawley hit a two-run homer. The second round tripper of the inning and fourth of the game was Frawley's seventh of the season. The K-Tribe added a seventh inning run on Tice's double to center that brought Frawley in from second. Abner Abreu went 3-for-4 with two RBI on the night. Frawley and Tice each went 2-for-5 with two RBI.

Kinston starter Clayton Cook was stellar, matching his longest outing of the season. Cook allowed just one run in seven innings while striking out a season high nine and walking four. The righty's sixth win of 2011 sets the standard for Kinston pitching so far this season. Cooks outing came one night after his teammate T.J. House set the teams long outing with seven and one third innings pitched. Chris Jones worked a perfect final two innings to cap Kinston's 8-1 win. Dash starter Ryan Buch (1-1) took his first loss of the year.

The K-Tribe takes on the Dash in the final game of the series Sunday afternoon in Winston-Salem. Game time 2pm, Giovanni Soto will get the start on the mound for Kinston.

Bats beat Clippers, 6-5

Brent Clevlen gave the Bats the lead in the bottom of the eighth, misplayed a critical fly ball in the ninth and hit a walk off homerun in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Bats their sixth straight victory, 6-5.

Clevlen went 3-for-5 batting out of the nine-hole with five runs batted in and two homeruns. His two run homerun in the eighth and leadoff homerun in the tenth, more than made up for a poorly played Lonnie Chisenhall fly ball in the ninth inning. The Chisenhall fly ball turned into a two RBI double and sent the contest into extra innings.

In the third inning Columbus shortstop Luis Valbuena extended his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest current streak in the International League, with a single slapped down the left field line. In the same frame Matt Klinker walked in a run and an infield single by Chad Huffman brought Valbuena around to tie the score at 2-2.

The Columbus offense was at it again in the sixth when Chad Huffman drove in Jason Kipnis from second base with an RBI single.

The Clippers travel back to Columbus on Sunday to face the Bats in their home park. Bats RHP Scott Carroll (3-2, 4.57) will take the mound for Louisville, with RHP Zach McAllister (7-1, 2.42) toeing the rubber for the Clippers. The game Sunday is the first of a three game set in Columbus that concludes with a double-header Monday.

Five-run Third Does In Aeros

Right-hander Austin Adams allowed five runs in the top of the third inning as the Akron Aeros went on to lose game two of a three-game series to the Binghamton Mets 7-4 Saturday at Canal Park.

Adams suffered the loss for the Aeros lasting 2.1 innings, giving up five earned runs on five hits, walking four and striking out five.

Lefty Roy Merrit pitched two scoreless innings of relief and got the win for Binghamton striking out one while walking none.

The Aeros (26-31) took the lead in the bottom of the second inning on a solo home run from Beau Mills.

The B-Mets (18-35) answered back in the top of the third inning. Jose Coronado led off with a walk and advanced to third on a Jonathan Malo double. Reese Havens singled home Coronado to tie the game 1-1. Bubba Bell followed with an RBI single to give Binghamton a 2-1 lead. With the bases full, Allan Dykstra rapped an RBI single to make it 3-1. Adams went on to walk home a run and then hit Jean Luc Blaquiere and force another run home to give Binghamton a 5-1 lead.

The Aeros loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the frame, but could not score.

The B-Mets scored runs in the top of the fourth and seventh innings to take a 7-1 lead.

The Aeros scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Cristo Arnal RBI groundout and a Tim Fedroff RBI single.

Akron rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth, but drew no closer as the B-Mets went on to the win.

The Aeros will look to salvage the finale of this three-game series Sunday. Akron will give the ball to left-hander T.J. McFarland, who is 1-4 with a 5.01 ERA in 2011. He will face right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh, who is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA this season. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m.

Lumberkings Saw Down the Captains 7-2

Clinton used the long ball on Saturday night at Classic Park to even their weekend series with Lake County with a 7-2 win. Mickey Wiswall went 3-for-4 with two homeruns and three runs batted in to lead the way.

Wiswall singled to centerfield to reach in the first inning. The Lumberkings made it 1-0, when Kalian Sams singled in Wiswall. Stefan Romero doubled in Sams pushing Clinton in front, 2-0.

In the third inning, Wiswall hit his first homerun of the game with a solo shot to right field to make it 3-0 Lumberkings.

Clinton hit a pair of two run homeruns in the fifth inning. Wiswall hit the first blast to straight away centerfield, his fifth of the season. Sams hit his seventh of the year as the L’Kings jumped ahead 7-0.

The Captains avoided the shutout scoring a pair of runs in the eighth inning. Giovanny Urshela drove in LeVon Washington who singled to make it 7-1. Washington had a pair of singles and extended his hit streak to eight games. Alex Monsalve made it 7-2 with a sacrifice fly to center to score Carlos Moncrief.

James Paxton (2-2) earned the win tossing five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, walking four and striking out nine. Jordan Cooper (1-2) suffered the loss allowing seven runs, six earned on eight hits, walking one and striking out six, which matches his career high.

Lake County and Clinton will wrap up their weekend series Sunday afternoon from Classic Park at 1:00PM. Taking the mound for the Captains in the finale will be RHP Cole Cook (2-5) matched up against RHP Forrest Snow (1-7) for the Lumberkings.

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