5-1 and nearly a clean sweep, as New Hampshire's 2-1 ninth-inning loss was the only blemish suffered by the minor league affiliates last night.
Syracuse 6 Toledo 2
A very impressive win for the SkyChiefs, who are now only a half game worse than Indianapolis as the worst team in the International League. Sean Douglass pitched a complete game four-hitter, with a pitching line of 9 4 2 2 1 5. Julius Matos went 3-for-5, continuing his hot hitting (he's up to .331). Russ Adams and Guillermo Quiroz both went 2-for-4 and Glenn Williams hit his 22nd homer.
Box score
Game story
Bonus article: Lukasiewicz says goodbye to SkyChiefs. He's hopeful of landing another job elsewhere in the high minors.
Binghamton 2 New Hampshire 1
Olympian John Ogiltree took the loss as he surrendered a ninth-inning double to Binghamton's Chris Basak to score the deciding run in the 2-1 loss. Top prospects Josh Banks and Brandon League had pitched brilliantly, with six hits, two walks, and eleven strikeouts between them. But the Fisher Cats couldn't get more than a single run across, an RBI double by Maikel Jova that plated Aaron Hill (who had walked and stolen second) in the sixth.
The Fisher Cats could have drawn level with the Mets in the Northern Division, but now trail by two games.
Box score
Game story
Bonus Article : Manchester Union-Leader columnist Joe Sullivan reviews the Cape Cod League documentary "Touching The Game".
Dunedin 8 Jupiter 3
A fine come-from-behind win for the D-Jays. Dunedin pounded out one in the 7th and five in the eighth off reliever Ross Wolf to make a winner out of Chad Pleiness. Neomar Flores had a quality start, giving up three runs in six innings (walking none and striking out an impressive seven). Jason Waugh had the crucial blow, with a three-run double. Carlo Cota went 3-for-5; Ron Davenport, Ryan Roberts and Vito Chiaravalloti each went 2-for-4 and catcher John Schneider homered.
Box score
Charleston 7 Hickory 6 (10 innings)
After nearly choking the game away in the ninth inning, the Alley Cats bounced back to take it in the bottom of the 10th, on a brilliant, gutsy call by manager Ken Joyce.
With the score knotted at 6 and one out, Clinton Johnson doubled and was replace by pinch-runner William Rivera. David Smith was walked, setting the stage for Mike Galloway. But Rivera took off on a steal of third; Hickory third baseman (and defensive replacement) Mike Collum failed to cover the bag, catcher Mike McCuiston's throw sailed unouched into left field, and Rivera raced home to win the game and send the Charleston faithful home happy.
Jordy Templet sandwiched a three-run ninth inning around some fine pitching performances by Kurt Isenberg (2.1 perfect innings) and Los Dos Romeros (Davis was one out from a quality start and Felix got the win after shutting the door on Hickory in the ninth and tenth).
All the Alley Cat damage was done by the middle of the order; Joey Reiman scored three runs and was 3-for-4; Johnson was 3-for-5 and drove in two; Smith and Galloway each went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Box score
The Charleston Gazette's Game story tells it better than I could.
Auburn 4 Lowell 1
Ryan Klosterman continues to impress with three extra-base hits and a stolen base (and also an error, which we'll overlook). The Doubledays got great pitching performances as Casey Mackenzie, Erik Rico, and Dewon Day combined to five-hit the Spinners. Rico and Day both have sub-2.00 ERAs. Auburn are now 25-7 and lead the division by 7 1/2 games!
Box score
A short Game story is on the front page of the Auburn website. No word on when Zach Jackson will make his first start, but he arrived in Auburn yesterday.
Pulaski 12 Danville 7
The P-Jays broke it open with five in the bottom of the seventh and added three more in the eighth (on a three-run homer by Luke Hetherington) to win at Calfee Park and stretch their East Division lead over Danville to two full games.
Chi-Hung Cheng started for Pulaski and was unimpressive, walking four and surrendering six hits in 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (three earned; both teams made three errors in a sloppy game). Edward Rodriguez (who got the win after the big seventh inning) picked up the win but allowed two runs himself; Aaron Tressler picked up the save and pitched well. On offense, Hetherington swung the biggest bat, with two hits (including the home run) and three RBI. Backup catcher Gooby Gerlits also homered; Anthony Garibaldi went 3-for-4 and Nick Thomas 2-for-3 with two walks.
Pulaski are now 10-2 at home.
Box score
The Game story focuses on David Hicks, who arrived from Auburn on game day and hit a double to clear the bases, the crucial hit in the five-run seventh.
The Three-Star Selection:
The Third Star: A shared award for New Hampshire reliever Brandon League (three innings, one hit, four strikeouts) and Charleston reliever Kurt Isenberg (2.1 perfect innings with three K's)
The Second Star: Sean Douglass, a complete-game four-hit win for Syracuse.
The First Star: Ryan Klosterman, two doubles, a homer, and a stolen base for Auburn.
Honorable Mention: Ken Joyce's Stones, with a shout out to William Rivera's Legs.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20040722101847999