Link Report for Wed. 4/21 -- Lunchtime Audio Feast Results in Three Victories

[Mass Haas]

D-Jays win wild one in 10 innings, 9-8

By Tim Livingston / Dunedin Blue Jays

It looked bleak there for a while.

 

Down 6-0 going into the sixth, Dunedin was facing a team with a strong offense and a hot pitcher, looking like their own streaky offense was going to be on the cool side of the heat index on Wednesday night.

 

But they strung together six hits to tie the game. Then, after Brevard County got two runs in the seventh, Dunedin was faced with yet another comeback.

 

This one, they finished.

 

Two runs came across in the ninth thanks to a Manatees throwing error on a potential game-ending double play to send the game to extra innings. Another throwing error by Brevard County brought home the winning run in the 10th, sealing Dunedin's 9-8 win.

 

The first half of the game was all Brevard County (4-9). With a runner on second and two away in the first inning, Brock Kjeldgaard bounced a ball to Raul Barron at third, but the normally sure-handed infielder lost the ball on a high hop in the sun, allowing Erik Komatsu to score the game's first run.

 

In the third, the Manatees got three runs on three consecutive RBI doubles from Sergio Miranda, Komatsu and then Erik Miller to make it 4-0.

 

Kjeldgaard added another blow in the fifth, homering to deep left center field off Joel Carreno with a runner on to give the Manatees a 6-0 lead and plenty of cushion for their starter, Dan Merklinger.

 

The Brevard County lefty had his stuff going early on, striking out two batters in the first as Dunedin (8-6) tried to battle back from their deficit, and then followed it up with five more heading into the sixth inning.

 

That's where Dunedin's bats came alive. Barron led off with a single, and after a Travis d'Arnaud walk, Sean Shoffit singled to load the bases. After Mike McDade struck out for the inning's second out, the rally began.

 

Yan Gomes hit a two-run single to left field and advanced to 2nd on the throw in, putting Dunedin on the board and cutting the lead to 6-2. This chased Merklinger and brought in Corey Frerichs.

 

Frerichs didn't do much better, giving up RBI singles to Welinton Ramirez and Justin McClanahan to cut the lead in half at 6-4.

 

The ninth batter of the inning, Tyler Pastornicky, then smoked a ball deep to left-center field, bringing in two more runs to tie the game at 6-6 and put the Manatees on notice.

 

Brevard County didn't fold, however, scoring two in the top of the seventh with RBI doubles from Miller and Anderson De La Rosa off Chad Beck, making it 8-6.

 

It would stay that way until the ninth inning, when Nick Green got into some trouble. Pastornicky led off with a single, and Barron followed with one of his own, setting the stage for last week's FSL Hitter of the Week in d'Arnaud.

 

D'Arnaud would fight off some pitches and go to right field for a base hit, loading the bases for Brian Van Kirk. Green would get Kirk out on three straight strikes for the first out before the drama unfolded with Sean Shoffit.

 

Shoffit grounded a sure double play ball to second base, but the turn at second by Miranda caused him to throw it in the dirt. Shoffit would reach and Barron would scamper home behind Pastornicky to tie the game at 8-8 and send it to extras.

 

In the bottom of the tenth, Justin McClanahan thought he had the walk-off hit when he doubled off the left-center field wall, but a nice play in center field by Juan Sanchez got the ball back to the infield in time to halt Ramirez at third.

 

Brevard County intentionally walked Pastornicky to load the bases with one out for Barron, who was 3-for-5 on the night coming into this most crucial at-bat.

 

He got ahead of reliever Dan Meadows (0-1) 2-0, but swung early on a changeup, knocking it right back to the mound for what seemed like another double play ball.

 

But after getting the out at home plate, De La Rosa's throw to first was in the dirt as well, getting by Kjeldgaard and into right field, allowing McClanahan to come home with the game-winning run.

 

The wild ending made a winner out of Boomer Potts (1-0), who pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to pick up his first victory.

 

Dunedin rapped out a season-high 17 hits on the night, with three hits each from Barron and Ramirez. Pastornicky, d'Aranaud, Shoffit and McClanahan each had two hits, with Gomes bringing home two RBIs.

 

Komatsu had a sensational night for the Manatees, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three doubles.

 

It was Dunedin's third win in four tries against Brevard County this season, and they will go for another series win in Thursday night's game against the Manatees.

 

20-year-old Henderson Alvarez, who is 2-0 this season and has allowed only one earned run in his two starts, will get the ball for Dunedin against Cody Scarpetta of Brevard County.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Game Summary from the West Tenn site

 

The Diamond Jaxx (4-9) lost on Wednesday afternoon at Pringles Park to the Huntsville Stars (9-4) in front of 1,376 fans, 7-0. The mostly school kids at the ballpark saw the Jaxx drop their fifth straight game of the year. The shutout loss is the first suffered this season. The Stars trail the first place Tennessee Smokies (10-2) by just two games in the Southern League North Division.

The bright spot offensively for West Tenn on Wednesday was Mariners first round pick (2nd overall) Dustin Ackley who finished the day 2-for-3 with a walk and a triple. The Jaxx pounded out six hits in the loss. Huntsville received multi-hit games from Zelous Wheeler, Taylor Green, Lee Haydel and Andy Machado.

 

The Stars had a great day on the mound with Mark Rogers (1-1), Jim Henderson and Robert Hinton combining to strike out eight and walk just three in the shutout. Taking the loss for West Tenn was Mauricio Robles (1-1), who tossed his shortest outing in three starts (3.2 innings) and gave up three runs on five hits. The Jaxx used five pitchers in the game.

 

The Stars scored first again Wednesday morning on a wild pitch by Diamond Jaxx pitcher, Mauricio Robles. Machado scored on the wild pitch after leading off the inning with a triple. The Stars took a 1-0 lead after the third.

 

Huntsville scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. After a double by Wheeler, Green plated Wheeler on an RBI double. Machado brought in Green with an RBI fielders' choice groundout and the Stars led 3-0.

 

In the sixth inning, Huntsville got a leadoff triple from Haydel then Machado picked up his second RBI in the game and brought in Haydel with a single. The Stars plated three more runs in the ninth inning against Jaxx reliever Chris Sorce. Sorce walked five batters in the ninth inning and hit a batter. Lorenzo Cain did drive in the final run of the inning with a hit to left. The Stars took a 7-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning and held for the shutout.

 

The Jaxx and Stars will meet again on Thursday night at 7:05 as the Jaxx look to snap the five game losing skid. Taking the mound for the Jaxx will be RHP Michael Pineda (0-0, 1.93) while RHP Michael Bowman (2-0, 3.60) toes the rubber for Huntsville.