Link Report for Games of Thursday, July 3rd

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Power edges Suns 3-2

Winning streak rises to six games

By Tommy R. Atkinson

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

The West Virginia Power's Eric Fryer could get used to first place.

 

The left fielder's run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth inning provided the go-ahead run Thursday night and starter Dan Merklinger stymied the Hagerstown (Md.) Suns as the Power won its sixth straight with 3-2 victory.

 

A paid crowd of 3,838 attended the battle for first place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The Power finished the first half of the season sixth in the eight-team Northern Division, but has won 10 of its first 14 games to start the second half and climb atop the standings.

 

West Virginia moved into first place for the first time Tuesday night after a 4-3 win over Greensboro. The Suns (8-6) were only one game out of first place entering Thursday's play.

 

"It's definitely a loose clubhouse right now,'' said Fryer, who went 3-for-3 with a triple Thursday. "Everyone's joking around in there. It's really easy when you're winning games. Hopefully it continues to be that way because it's a lot more fun.''

 

Anderson De La Rosa cracked a leadoff solo home run down the right field line to give the Power a 1-0 lead in the third. Hagerstown knotted the game at 1-all in the top of the fourth, but West Virginia came through with some clutch at-bats to seize the momentum.

 

After the first two Power batters fouled out, Steffan Wilson coaxed a full-count walk, then moved to second on a passed ball. Fryer hit a liner to right field to hand West Virginia the lead for good at 2-1.

 

The Power extended its advantage with more big hits in the fifth. Matt Cline came up with a one-out double, hustling around first base to turn what appeared to be a bloop single to short left field into a two-base hit. After Eric Haydel struck out, Eric Farris punched an RBI single into left field for a 3-1 edge.

 

Merklinger (3-5) shut down the Suns, surrendering just one earned run on four hits in six innings with nine strikeouts. Rob Bryson earned his fifth save, allowing one run on a hit in three innings.

 

Bryson set down Hagerstown in order in the seventh then an error and passed ball helped the Suns close the deficit to 3-2 in the eighth.

 

Bryson returned to form in the ninth, fanning the first two hitters before fielding a weak grounder to end the game.

 

"Right now we're hitting the ball real well and our pitching is giving us a chance to stay in ballgames,'' said Fryer. "It's a good combination.''

 

The Power is giving every indication it is ready for a run at a second-half title. Fryer and most of the Power's roster played at Helena (Mont.) last season, capturing the first-half title in the rookie Pioneer League.

 

"We know what it takes to get [in the playoffs],'' Fryer said. "I think it was just a matter of getting used to the [south Atlantic] League. There's a little better pitching here and the umpires [have] different zones. Everyone's getting more comfortable in the [batter's] box [and] in the field.''

 

Briefly: Merklinger is 3-0 in his last five starts.

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Pokey Reese is rehabbing with Hagerstown, back in Charleston where he once played minor league ball.

[Mass Haas]

Helena's David Fonseca was called out while attempting to steal second base by Osprey shortstop Reynaldo Navarro during the first inning Thursday night at Ogren-Allegiance Park. The Brewers won, 15-6.

Photo by MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian

 

http://www.missoulian.com/content/articles/2008/07/04/sports/sports01.jpg

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Brewers demolish Osprey

By CHAD DUNDAS - Missoulian

 

The largest crowd in Missoula Osprey history came with the promise of Fourth of July fireworks at Ogren-Allegiance Park on Thursday and got a blowout of a ball game to boot. The only hitch was that the road team was putting on the pyrotechnic display.

 

The Helena Brewers feasted on Missoula pitching early and often en route to a 15-6 win in front of 3,678 spectators at the riverfront stadium, putting an exclamation point on a three-game sweep of the skittering Osprey.

 

Corey Kemp finished 3-for-4 while Chris Dennis and Michael Marseco each went 3-for-5 as the Brewers pounded out 18 hits, batted through their order in back-to-back innings and tacked nine runs on the scoreboard before Missoula had its first hit.

 

Already owning a sizeable lead, the Brewers added late home runs by Dennis and Cutter Dykstra for good measure.

 

Missoula starting pitcher Randy Rodriguez and reliever Keny Sosa were the chief targets of the Helena onslaught, combining on five walks and staking the Brewers to a huge early lead after conceding eight hits through the third inning.

 

John Delaney and Derrick Alfonso smacked consecutive doubles off Rodriguez in the second to spark the attack. Delaney split the Osprey outfield with his drive to center, scoring Dennis and Kemp, and then Alfonso followed with a rip that kicked up chalk from the third baseline and brought Delaney home.

 

Rodriguez left after loading the bases with no outs in the third. Sosa faced Delaney as his first batter and walked him, bringing home Brock Kjeldgaard to give the Brewers an 8-0 advantage. When Alfonso followed immediately with a sacrifice fly that again scored Dennis, the final six innings seemed academic.

 

Playing his second game in the field since missing time last week with a foot injury, Kyle Greene led Missoula offensively, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and a run.

 

The Osprey scored their first two runs in the bottom of the third as Jorge Corniel and Victor Estevez came home on a grounder up the middle by Alberto Diaz. Missoula also staged a mini-rally in the eighth, when Ryne White walked and Greene hit his two-bagger to the wall in right field. That set the stage for Bobby Stone to crush a three-run jack over the left-field fence.

 

Justin Mace pitched admirably for the Osprey in the middle innings, striking out six over 3 1/3, allowing a pair of runs.

 

Jesse Orosco Jr. fanned five in completing the final three frames, giving up four runs nn including the homers to Dennis in the seventh and Dykstra in the ninth.

 

The win brings Helena to 9-8, as the Brewers head to Billings to face the Mustangs.