Link Report for Thursday, August 3rd -- Final Update: Power

[Mass Haas]

Thursday's Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with Hitting Coach Johnny Narron (Select date for August 3rd, skip to the 14:30 minute mark) --

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

[Mass Haas]

Helena Independent Record:

 

Sox run past Brew

 

Great Falls pitcher Tim Lawrence struck out eight Helena Brewers and didn?t allow a run over seven innings as the White Sox claimed a 4-1 Pioneer League victory Thursday.

 

Helena mustered two hits against White Sox pitchers and scored their only run in the ninth inning.

 

Williamson picked up the victory for Great Falls and moved his record to 3-2.

 

That came when Stephen Chapman drove in Charlie Caufield on a sacrifice fly.

 

Great Falls pushed across two runs in the first inning. That pair of scores came thanks to a two RBI single by Christian Marrero.

 

The White Sox sealed the game in the eighth with two more runs.

 

Lee Cruz and John Shelby each hit solo home runs off of Brewers reliever Travis Wendte.

 

Helena starter Amaury Rivas pitched very well, striking out four over seven innings. He allowed just one earned run.

 

Scotty Madsen was 3-for-4 at the plate for Great Falls. Shelby picked up two hits for Great Falls.

 

Both teams will meet again today for the second game of a three-game set. First pitch is at 7:00 PM (8:00 Central) at Centene Stadium.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2006080362

 

Gamel gets 7 RBIs in Power?s 16-6 romp

By Jarrod Talbott

For the Charleston Gazette

 

Fans came to Appalachian Power Park Thursday for one-dollar drafts, but they received an unexpected fireworks show courtesy of the West Virginia Power offense.

 

The Power scored six runs in the first inning and followed with a 10-run fourth for a 16-6 victory over the Catfish.

 

The Power had four runs on the board before the first out was recorded. Darren Ford led off with a double down the third-base line and Lorenzo Cain reached first on a ground ball just out of the reach of Catfish shortstop Ivan DeJesus. Angel Salome doubled off the left-field wall, scoring Ford, and the Power would not look back. Salome, Mat Gamel, Tony Festa, Nestor Corredor and Ford all drove in runs in the inning as the Power sent 11 men to the plate in the first.

 

The Catfish picked up a pair of runs in the second, highlighted by a Russ Mitchell solo home run.

 

In the fourth, the Power sent 14 men to the plate, scoring 10 runs. Salome hit his second double of the game, scoring Ford. The inning was highlighted by a Gamel triple down the first-base line, scoring Ryan Barba, Cain and Salome.

 

Gamel had three hits and seven RBIs.

 

?I?m just trying to settle down out there and start seeing the ball again,? said Gamel. ?I went through that long spell where I struggled a lot so I?m really just trying to slow everything down.?

 

?We opened [his stance] a little bit,? said Power hitting coach Mike Lum. ?He can pull the ball the right way and not have to use his shoulders to swing with.?

 

Shawn Ferguson worked five innings to pick up his first win as a member of the Power.

 

?It was pretty good,? said Ferguson. ?I wanted to give the fans something to see. It?s my first win in A-ball and it feels pretty good.?

 

Ferguson was happy to see the offense come to life in the first inning.

 

?It takes a lot of pressure off,? said Ferguson.

 

Salome had three RBIs and a pair of hits and Cain had three hits and scored three runs.

 

Catfish starter Mario Alvarez (5-7) was roughed up for nine runs, all earned, in only three innings.

 

The Power improved to 58-50 while the Catfish dropped to 55-55.

 

Game three of the four-game series is today at Appalachian Power Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

[igor67]

I'm sure that the Brewers are plenty convinced of Salome's bat, but they are letting him refine his defense. Which is a lot easier to do with pitchers he is already familiar with and a level he can handle offensively without slumping.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006080427/

 

Power hurler leaves better impression

Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

West Virginia Power pitcher Shawn Ferguson's first home outing was brutal, but mercifully quick in a July 23 loss to the Lake County Captains.

 

In that game, Ferguson, a 9th round pick out of Texas Christian in the 2006 amateur baseball draft, allowed five hits and eight earned runs in just 1/3 of an inning before being removed from the game.

 

Ferguson followed that outing with a much better performance by tossing six innings of two-hit baseball, allowing just one run, while striking out seven. However, Ferguson didn't figure in the decision in a 3-2 loss at Savannah.

 

But even with the marked improvement, Ferguson still wasn't happy with the first impression he made upon Power fans.

 

With a little help from his friends, Ferguson was able to leave a much more pleasant impression on the 4,430 fans that watched as the Power shellacked Columbus 16-6 Thursday evening at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Power batters erupted with nine hits and six runs in the first inning off of Catfish starter and loser Mario Alvarez (5-7), and followed that with a six hit, 10-run fourth inning to help Ferguson (1-1) settle in for his first professional win.

 

"I had a rough outing the first time I threw here and I wanted to give the fans something to see that that wasn't the real me last time out," said Ferguson, who went five innings, allowing three hits and a pair of earned runs. "It's my first win in "A" ball and it feels pretty good, especially to get that first one.

 

"It's pretty exciting. I'm starting to get more comfortable. I've been working with our pitching coach (John Curtis) on some mechanical stuff.

 

"He's great and I'm starting to get comfortable with that. I still don't have a feel for my breaking ball, but as far as the fastball, I feel like I'm doing some good things with that."

 

With a big first inning lead, Ferguson was able to relax, throw strikes and keep his fielders active and on their toes.

 

"It's good to get started early and take advantage of what a pitcher is giving you," said Power designated hitter Angel Salome, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBI. "That makes the pitcher more comfortable and they can just throw the ball down the middle and let the other team hit the ball.

 

"Then we can help him out by doing our job. That takes a lot of pressure off of a pitcher with a start like that."

 

While Ferguson settled into his comfort zone, Alvarez was being battered by Power batters from top to bottom of the lineup.

 

Darren Ford, Lorenzo Cain, Salome, Mat Gamel and Mike Bell started the bottom of the first with five consecutive hits that produced three runs.

 

After a pair of groundouts plated another Power run, Nestor Corredor, Ryan Barba, Ford and Cain added four more consecutive hits that resulted in the final two runs of the inning.

 

Barba made the final out of the inning when he was caught off of third base on Cain's second hit of the inning.

 

The fourth inning was even more impressive, as the Power sent 14 men to the plate, highlighted by a double and triple by Gamel that plated five runs in the inning.

 

Gamel finished 3-for-5, with a single, double, triple and seven RBI.

 

"I haven't really been putting myself in a good position to hit," Gamel said. "I was pulling off of balls and swinging at a lot of balls.

 

"I've worked up in the cage with Coach (Mike) Lum figuring some stuff out. It's paying off now, so hopefully I can keep swinging it."

 

Cain finished with three hits, three runs and an RBI.

 

The Power will play the third game of a four-game series against Columbus tonight at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

Right-hander James McDonald (3-9, 4.28) will toe the rubber for Columbus, while Power will counter with lefty Rafael Lluberes (4-6, 3.70).