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| T.J. House (Photo: IPI) |
The K-Tribe pulled off a doubleheader sweep, defeating Lynchburg 6-1 and 1-0 Friday night at Historic Grainger Stadium. With the win Kinston improves to a Carolina League best 11-4 in the second half. The 1-0 shutout win in game two was Kinston’s league leading 10th shutout of the season.
Kinston used the long ball to take the first game of a doubleheader against Lynchburg. In the top of the third inning, Tyler Holt hit a lead-off double off of former Western Carolina star pitcher Chris Masters. Casey Frawley followed with his second home run of the home stand, to give Kinston a 2-0 lead. It was Frawley's tenth homer of the season. Abner Abreu gave Kinston a three-run lead with a monster shot to left field in the fourth inning.
Brett Brach was excellent for Kinston, giving up just two hits in six innings of work. Brach (6-5) walked two and struck out two, lowering his ERA to 2.71. The mark is the sixth lowest in the Carolina League. Jose Flores finished up the game with a perfect seventh inning.
Kinston would add three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to sloppy play from the Hillcats. Chase Burnette and Abner Abreu both walked with one out in the frame. Roberto Perez would drive Burnette in with a run scoring single. With two outs in the inning an error by Lynchburg third baseman Joe Leonard allowed Abreu and Perez to score.
In game two, Adam Abraham broke open a scoreless tie with a solo home run off of Lynchburg starter David Hale in the fourth inning. It was Abraham's team leading 12th home run of the season.
The run would hold up as T.J. House was very good, getting out of jams in the first and second inning. House then went on to allow just one hit after the second inning. House (6-7) got the win, giving up just four hits in five innings of work. He walked three and struck out five batters, lowering his ERA to 3.95. Chris Jones got the hold by working a scoreless sixth inning. Preston Guilmet picked up his 22nd save with a perfect ninth inning, striking out one.
The K-Tribe hits the road for Frederick, Maryland starting a three game series with the Keys Saturday night at 6pm. Steve Wright will get the Saturday night start for Kinston.
Columbus falls short against Toledo 8-6
The Clippers jumped out to an early lead, but a six run sixth inning by Toledo was too much for Columbus as they dropped a 7-6 slugfest to the Mud Hens.
Clippers starter Jeanmar Gomez did not get off to the best of starts. Mud Hens right fielder Will Rhymes tripled to deep right center field to start off the ballgame. Rhymes would then come into score on a Timo Perez RBI sacrifice fly to give the Mud Hens a very early 1-0 lead.
Already trailing by a run, the Clippers went to work on offense. Ezequiel Carrera led off the inning with a walk. He then stole second to get into scoring position. Jason Donald came to the plate and reached on an infield hit, putting runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. The next batter, Jason Kipnis, struck out swinging. Donald was also thrown out trying to steal second, but it was a double steal as Carrera came into to score on the play, tying the contest 1-1.
After a quiet second for Toledo, the Clippers set out to get the lead. Cord Phelps led off the bottom half of the frame with a double down the right field line. Jerad Head attempted to sacrifice Phelps over and ended up reaching safely as the ball got by Mud Hens starter Bryan Villareal for an infield hit. Following the Head infield hit, Tim Fedroff hit a fly ball that was caught by the Hens right fielder Ryhmes. Rhymes, seeing that he might have a chance to double off Head, but there was nobody covering first base. It allowed Phelps to score easily from third and give the Clippers their first lead of the ballgame 2-1.
The Clippers would add on when Paul Phillips hit a liner that ricochet off of third base and into left field for a single, driving in Head and making it 3-1 Columbus.
Unfortunately, Phillips was thrown out at second trying to stretch his single into a double, ending the inning. The scoring would continue for the Clippers in the bottom half of the fourth when Jason Donald launched a solo shot to the left field bleachers to extend the Clippers lead to 4-1.
It would prove to be a rough inning defensively for Columbus in the top of the 6th. Max St. Pierre reached on an error by Cord Phelps to start off the inning. That was followed by a Will Ryhmes single to left field. Timo Perez then hit a grounder that Cord Phelps bobbled on his attempt to throw out Perez at first. That loaded the bases with nobody out. Jeanmar Gomez did not help himself when he walked the next batter, Carlos Guillen to bring in another run to cut the Columbus lead in half 4-2.
With still nobody out, Ryan Strieby singled up the middle to drive in two and tie the ballgame up at 4-4. Attempting to sacrifice Guillen to second, Scott Thorman bunted to the right side of the mound. Gomez threw to first, but the ball deflected off the glove of Clippers first baseman Matt McBride, allowing Thorman to reach on a bunt single. Danny Worth then grounded into a double play, allowing Guillen to score to make it 5-4 Mud Hens. Unfortunately for Columbus, that was not the end of the scoring for Toledo as Clete Thomas drilled a two run shot to left field to cap off a six run inning for the Mud Hens.
The seventh was a promising inning that could have gone for a lot more. Jerad Head hit a solo bomb to dead centerfield to help the Clippers inch closer 7-5. That was followed by singles by Tim Fedroff and Paul Phillips. The runners would move up 90 feet with one out on a wild pitch by Mud Hens reliever Brad Thomas. Thomas then walked Carrera to load the bases with one out. He would walk the next batter in Jason Donald to make it a one run contest, 7-6. After a pitching change by Toledo, Kipnis struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Chad Huffman would strike out swinging as well to prematurely end the Clippers scoring threat.
The Mud Hens would get back a run in the top of the ninth when Timo Perez knocked in Rhymes with an RBI double to right center field, extending the slim Toledo lead to 8-6. Down by two, the Clippers tried once again to rally. They had runners on 1st and second with two outs, but Jason Kipnis struck out looking to end the ballgame.
These two teams will once again lock horns with one another, but this time they will matchup in the glass city of Toledo. Clippers lefthander David Huff (8-2) will face off against Toledo lefthander Andrew Oliver (6-6). First pitch is scheduled.
Aeros scores late to beat Erie
The Akron Aeros scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a one-run deficit and win game one of a four-game series against the Erie SeaWolves 4-1 Friday at Canal Park.
Left-handed pitcher Jay Voss allowed all four runs in the seventh and suffered the loss for Erie.
Left-hander Eric Berger pitched an inning and two thirds of scoreless relief to earn the win for the Aeros walking two and striking out five during his outing. Right-handed pitcher Cory Burns tossed an inning and a third of scoreless baseball to log his league-high 24th save of 2011. Righty Austin Adams made the start for Akron tossing six innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, walking six and striking out three.
Friday night’s attendance was 7,119, which is the largest Friday Night Fireworks crowd of the 2011 season.
The SeaWolves (42-45) got on the board in the top of the second inning. Bryan Pounds led off with a walk and advanced to second on a Francisco Martinez single. Justin Henry followed with a sacrifice bunt moving the runners to second and third. Pounds scored on a Brandon Douglas ground out to give the SeaWolves a 1-0 lead.
It remained 1-0 until the bottom of the seventh inning. Chun Chen opened the frame with a triple. With one out, Raul Padron singled him home to tie the game 1-1. Tyler Cannon followed with a double advancing Padron to third and John Drennen walked to load the bases. Padron scored on a fielder’s choice to give Akron a 2-1 lead. Voss was replaced by Austin Wood following the error. With two outs, Juan Diaz rapped a two-RBI single to right field to increase the Aeros lead to 4-1.
The Akron bullpen did the rest as the Aeros went on to win game one of this four-game series.
The Aeros (45-43) and SeaWolves will continue their series Saturday. Akron will give the ball to left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland, who is 5-4 with a 4.09 ERA in 2011. He will face right-handed pitcher Mark Sorensen, who is 7-6 with a 6.38 ERA this season. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
Mateo No-Hits Lake County, Captains Swept
Two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Victor Mateo gets Jordan Casas to line out back to the mound to throw a no-hitter and defeat Lake County 1-0. It was the first no-hitter thrown in the Hot Rod’s short franchise history.
Hector Guevara in the second inning with two outs and runners on the corners, singled to leftfield giving Bowling Green a 1-0 lead.
Victor Mateo (9-4) went seven scoreless, hitless innings, walking only three and striking out a career high ten. Cole Cook (3-9) suffered the loss working six innings, allowing just one unearned run on four hits, walking four and striking out three.
In game one, with game tied at 1-1, Hot Rod Steve Tinoco singled to right field with the bases loaded giving Bowling Green a 3-1 lead. They would add two more runs and went on to win 5-1.
The Hot Rods made it 1-0 in the second inning. With the bases loaded Hector Guevara hit into fielder’s choice scoring Nick Schwaner.
Lake County tied the game up in the fourth when Aaron Fields singled to left with the based juiced, scoring Jordan Casas. Ronny Rodriguez tried to score from second, but was thrown out at the plate.
Nate Garcia (2-0) picked up the win working two innings, no runs on two hits, walking one and striking out four. Joey Mahalic (0-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits, walking two without recording an out. Mike Goodnight recorded a no-decision with five innings, one run and two hits, walking two and striking out four.
Lake County returns home for a short three game series with Lansing at Classic Park beginning at 7:00PM. Making the start for the Captains will be LHP Kirk Wetmore (0-0) against LHP Sean Nolin (1-2) for the Lugnuts.
Walkoff Win Lifts Scrappers to Series Victory
Jerrud Sabourin singled in Jordan Smith in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Scrappers defeated the Williamsport Crosscutters, 4-3.
Mahoning Valley and Williamsport traded the lead throughout the game. The Scrappers had a number of chances to win the game in the later innings, but the Crosscutters’ bullpen kept the game tied going into extra innings.
In the 10th, Smith walked with one out and went to second on a walk by John Barr before Sabourin singled with two outs.
The Scrappers and Crosscutters will play three games in Williamsport. The first game of the series is Saturday night at 7:05 pm.
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