A 15-hit night by Syracuse in Virginia was the highlight of the evening in the minor leagues. However, it was not the only thing to write about as the affiliates picked up three wins and Dunedin only scored one less run than the SkyChiefs. The Lugnuts couldn’t compare to either of those performances, but still scored in the first four innings of their game to deliver an early blow their opponents and never looked back.
Syracuse 10 @ Norfolk 4 - Boxscore
Three-run third and fifth innings helped propel Syracuse to a 10-4 road victory over Norfolk, who had a 2-1 lead after 2 innings. Norfolk would score two in the fourth, but this paled in comparison to Syracuse’s seven runs over the next three innings and suddenly it was 8-4 Syracuse. Syracuse would pick up two additional runs in the ninth inning for a 10-4 victory. Kane Davis got the start and gave up ten hits over 6 innings. Davis allowed all four runs, although one was unearned, struck out four and walked two to improve his record to 3-5. Michael MacDonald pitched two innings of one-hit relief and Mike Gosling struck out the side in the ninth, while allowing one hit. Syracuse committed three errors (Adam Lind, Chip Cannon at third and Jeff Bannon).
If you were paying attention to the above paragraph you would have noticed that Norfokl picked up 12 hits on the evening, yet they were still outhit by Syracuse, who notched 15. Every starter got a hit, so I’ll try to just cover those that went above and beyond. Jeff Bannon provided a spark out of the 9-hole with a 3-run homer in the fifth with two out, which accounted for all 3 of his RBI in the game. He was replaced after the homer for defensive purposes. In the third and fourth spots Lind and Matt Watson both had two hits, two runs, a homer and 2 RBI in the game. Lind went 2-5, whereas Watson went 2-3 and drew two walks. Wayne Lydon also showed a good batting eye, going 1-2 with a run and three walks. Erik Kratz went 3-5 with two runs, an RBI and a triple, while Marcos Cabral went 3-5 with a run and an RBI. And to quickly recap the other three batters: Curtis Thigpen went 1-5; Buck Coats went 1-4 with a run and Chip Cannon went 1-4 with a double and an RBI.
New Hampshire 2 @ Bowie 5 - Boxscore
Scott Richmond got the start and gave up a pair of runs over 5 innings. Richmond allowed four hits and two walks, striking out five. Both runs scored on a two-out homer in the third inning by Luis Montanez. Richmond was relieved by Jamie Vermilyea, who took the loss by allowing three runs over a couple of innings. Vermilyea gave up four hits and a walk and didn’t strike out a batter, while also allowing a 2-run homer, this time to Nolan Reimold. Brandon Camaradese and Seth Overybey combined to pitch the last inning.
New Hampshire only got four hits on the afternoon, so there’s not much to write home about offensively. Scott Campbell led off and went 1-3 with a run, a stolen base and a walk. Campbell’s double-play partner, Ryan Klosterman, batted ninth and went 1-2 with a run, a stolen base and a walk. Ryan Patterson went 0-3 but drew the third of three Fisher Cat walks on the evening, while Jacob Butler went 1-3 with a double. Both Campbell and Klosterman reached based in the forth and then executed a successful double steal to put themselves on second and third with one out for Travis Snider, who promptly hit a single to drive in all of New Hampshire’s runs on the evening.
Brevard County 3 @ Dunedin 9 - Boxscore
After one inning it was 2-1 Dunedin and two innings later it was 6-1 Dunedin. The teams swapped runs in the fourth and in the eighth Brevard County picked up their third run, while Dunedin scored their last two of the afternoon. Robert Ray got the victory with 7 innings of three-hit ball. Ray walked two and struck out three and allowed two runs. Celson Polanco pitched the last two innings and struggled with his control, walking three and allowing one run to score.
Dunedin had ten hits on the afternoon with six of them coming from the 6-7-8 hitters of Bradley Emaus, Jesus Gonzalez and Matthew Lane. Each of those three went 2-3 with an RBI, with Emaus adding a run and two walks and Lane also drawing a walk. Both Emaus and Lane hit doubles. Sean Shoffit was hitless in the 9-hole, but drew a walk and scored a run. At the top of the lineup Chris Emanuele went 1-4 with a run. He was followed by David Eckstein, who went 1-3 with a run and was replaced halfway through the game. JP Arencibia hit third and went 1-4 with a walk, but the one hit was a 2-run homer, which was part of his 3-RBI night.
South Bend 1 @ Lansing 5 - Boxscore
Lansing scored five times in the first four innings and never looked back on their way to a 5-1 home victory over South Bend. Despite a walk and a balk, Luis Perez got his first win of the year and lowered his ERA to 5.15 by surrendering only one run in 6 innings. Perez gave up two hits, two walks and struck out eight. Ross Buckwalter and Cody Crowell pitched three scoreless one-hit innings of relief.
On the offensive side, Justin Jackson did exactly what a leadoff man should do, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances and scoring two runs. Jackson was 0-1 with three base on balls. Kevin Ahrens was 1-4 with a double, a run and an RBI, while Yohermyn Chavez was 1-4 with a home run, picking up a run and RBI in the process. Manny Rodriguez was 0-3 to drop his batting average to .343, but still drove in a run, while Eric Eiland was 1-4 and is now hitting .347. Matt Liuzza was 1-4 with an RBI and Michael McDade was 2-3 with a double, as Lansing outhit South Bend six to four.
Three Stars
3rd Star – Bradley Emaus, 2-3, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, 3 TB; & Adam Lind, 2-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 5 TB;
2nd Star – Luis Perez, 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
1st Star – Matt Watson, 2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR 2 RBI, 2 BB 6 TB
Syracuse 10 @ Norfolk 4 - Boxscore
Three-run third and fifth innings helped propel Syracuse to a 10-4 road victory over Norfolk, who had a 2-1 lead after 2 innings. Norfolk would score two in the fourth, but this paled in comparison to Syracuse’s seven runs over the next three innings and suddenly it was 8-4 Syracuse. Syracuse would pick up two additional runs in the ninth inning for a 10-4 victory. Kane Davis got the start and gave up ten hits over 6 innings. Davis allowed all four runs, although one was unearned, struck out four and walked two to improve his record to 3-5. Michael MacDonald pitched two innings of one-hit relief and Mike Gosling struck out the side in the ninth, while allowing one hit. Syracuse committed three errors (Adam Lind, Chip Cannon at third and Jeff Bannon).
If you were paying attention to the above paragraph you would have noticed that Norfokl picked up 12 hits on the evening, yet they were still outhit by Syracuse, who notched 15. Every starter got a hit, so I’ll try to just cover those that went above and beyond. Jeff Bannon provided a spark out of the 9-hole with a 3-run homer in the fifth with two out, which accounted for all 3 of his RBI in the game. He was replaced after the homer for defensive purposes. In the third and fourth spots Lind and Matt Watson both had two hits, two runs, a homer and 2 RBI in the game. Lind went 2-5, whereas Watson went 2-3 and drew two walks. Wayne Lydon also showed a good batting eye, going 1-2 with a run and three walks. Erik Kratz went 3-5 with two runs, an RBI and a triple, while Marcos Cabral went 3-5 with a run and an RBI. And to quickly recap the other three batters: Curtis Thigpen went 1-5; Buck Coats went 1-4 with a run and Chip Cannon went 1-4 with a double and an RBI.
New Hampshire 2 @ Bowie 5 - Boxscore
Scott Richmond got the start and gave up a pair of runs over 5 innings. Richmond allowed four hits and two walks, striking out five. Both runs scored on a two-out homer in the third inning by Luis Montanez. Richmond was relieved by Jamie Vermilyea, who took the loss by allowing three runs over a couple of innings. Vermilyea gave up four hits and a walk and didn’t strike out a batter, while also allowing a 2-run homer, this time to Nolan Reimold. Brandon Camaradese and Seth Overybey combined to pitch the last inning.
New Hampshire only got four hits on the afternoon, so there’s not much to write home about offensively. Scott Campbell led off and went 1-3 with a run, a stolen base and a walk. Campbell’s double-play partner, Ryan Klosterman, batted ninth and went 1-2 with a run, a stolen base and a walk. Ryan Patterson went 0-3 but drew the third of three Fisher Cat walks on the evening, while Jacob Butler went 1-3 with a double. Both Campbell and Klosterman reached based in the forth and then executed a successful double steal to put themselves on second and third with one out for Travis Snider, who promptly hit a single to drive in all of New Hampshire’s runs on the evening.
Brevard County 3 @ Dunedin 9 - Boxscore
After one inning it was 2-1 Dunedin and two innings later it was 6-1 Dunedin. The teams swapped runs in the fourth and in the eighth Brevard County picked up their third run, while Dunedin scored their last two of the afternoon. Robert Ray got the victory with 7 innings of three-hit ball. Ray walked two and struck out three and allowed two runs. Celson Polanco pitched the last two innings and struggled with his control, walking three and allowing one run to score.
Dunedin had ten hits on the afternoon with six of them coming from the 6-7-8 hitters of Bradley Emaus, Jesus Gonzalez and Matthew Lane. Each of those three went 2-3 with an RBI, with Emaus adding a run and two walks and Lane also drawing a walk. Both Emaus and Lane hit doubles. Sean Shoffit was hitless in the 9-hole, but drew a walk and scored a run. At the top of the lineup Chris Emanuele went 1-4 with a run. He was followed by David Eckstein, who went 1-3 with a run and was replaced halfway through the game. JP Arencibia hit third and went 1-4 with a walk, but the one hit was a 2-run homer, which was part of his 3-RBI night.
South Bend 1 @ Lansing 5 - Boxscore
Lansing scored five times in the first four innings and never looked back on their way to a 5-1 home victory over South Bend. Despite a walk and a balk, Luis Perez got his first win of the year and lowered his ERA to 5.15 by surrendering only one run in 6 innings. Perez gave up two hits, two walks and struck out eight. Ross Buckwalter and Cody Crowell pitched three scoreless one-hit innings of relief.
On the offensive side, Justin Jackson did exactly what a leadoff man should do, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances and scoring two runs. Jackson was 0-1 with three base on balls. Kevin Ahrens was 1-4 with a double, a run and an RBI, while Yohermyn Chavez was 1-4 with a home run, picking up a run and RBI in the process. Manny Rodriguez was 0-3 to drop his batting average to .343, but still drove in a run, while Eric Eiland was 1-4 and is now hitting .347. Matt Liuzza was 1-4 with an RBI and Michael McDade was 2-3 with a double, as Lansing outhit South Bend six to four.
Three Stars
3rd Star – Bradley Emaus, 2-3, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, 3 TB; & Adam Lind, 2-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 5 TB;
2nd Star – Luis Perez, 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
1st Star – Matt Watson, 2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR 2 RBI, 2 BB 6 TB
