Playoff Recaps 9/13: K-Tribe rolls in Game One

Preston Guilmet (Photo: IPI)

Kinston wins Mills Cup Series opener

Kinston won game one of the Carolina League Mills Cup Championship Series 3-1 on Tuesday Night at Harry Grove Stadium. Jesus Aguilar hit a go-ahead home run and Preston Guilmet slammed the door with a four out save solidifying the K-Tribe win. Kinston now leads the best-of-five series one game to none.

Both teams left base runners stranded over the first two innings. Kinston was the first to break through in the third. Tyler Holt dropped a one out bunt in front of the mound and advanced to second on an errant throw to first, an error charged to pitcher Nick Haughian. After a Bo Greenwell single, Holt scored the first run of the game on a grounder from Adam Abraham.

Kinston again looked to the long ball to break a tie in the fourth. At 1-1, Jesus Aguilar barely snuck a line drive over the left field fence to lead the inning off and Give the K-Tribe a one run advantage. All four K-Tribe playoff home runs have given the Indians a lead. Tyler Cannon scored in the third inning on a throwing error after doubling off of Haughian immediately following Aguilar’s blast.

Starter Clayton Cook departed with one out and one on in the sixth inning. Chirs Jones was sent to the center of the diamond in relief. Jones pitched one full inning allowing just one hit. Toru Murata then was called upon for Kinston. Murata pitched one and one third inning allowing two hits and striking out one hitter. Fredrick also turned in two strong relief appearances. Kenny Moreland pitched three innings with two hits and three strikeouts out of the bullpen. Chris Petrini pitched two innings of relief, he did not allow a hit and struck out four K-tribe hitters.

McAllister, Clippers fall in opener

Lehigh Valley jumped on Zach McAllister early and held on to win 5-2, taking game one of the Governors' Cup final at Huntington Park Tuesday.

Brandon Moss hit a three-run shot off McAllister in the top of the first and Scott Podsednik drove home one on an RBI groundout in the second to give the Iron Pigs an early 4-0 lead.

The Clippers' ace settled down from there, however, and ended up going eight innings, striking out six.

In the fifth, Columbus crawled back within two runs thanks to a Tim Fedroff RBI single and Juan Diaz who grounded into an RBI force out. Second base umpire Fran Burke ruled Fedroff out at second even though replays showed that Iron Pigs' second baseman Josh Barfield did not have control of the ball on the flip from Freddy Galvis.

McAllister came on for the ninth inning but was pulled after a Cody Overbeck solo homer and an Erik Kratz double. Kelvin De La Cruz got them out of the jam and gave his team a chance to come back in the bottom half.

The Clippers loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth but Justin De Fratus struck out Jared Goedert on a 3-2 pitch to seal the victory and earn the save.

Scott Mathieson started for Lehigh Valley and went five innings, giving up two runs and striking out two to earn the win.

After dropping their first game at home, the Clippers look for revenge Wednesday at 7:05 PM, as they send Mitch Talbot to the hill against Lehigh's Nate Bump.

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