Link Report Thu. 4/12 - Final Update: Why Ford was on DL

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 4, Oklahoma (Rangers) 2

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Joe Dillon photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2258

 

Sounds Close Homestand With 4-2 Victory

 

NASHVILLE ? Joe Dillon?s sixth-inning bases-loaded double powered the Nashville Sounds to a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks in front of 5,388 fans on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

With the win, Nashville (3-4) concluded its season-opening homestand with two straight victories. The Sounds have come from behind to notch all three of their wins this season.

 

Oklahoma jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Sounds starter Tim Dillard with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. RedHawks designated hitter Marlon Byrd (2-for-4) put the visitors on top 1-0 with a one-out, broken-bat RBI single to center that scored Victor Diaz. The second run came around to score on a Drew Meyer double.

 

Mike Wood did not factor in the decision for Oklahoma but turned in a solid start, allowing only one hit over four scoreless innings.

 

The Sounds pulled ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth on Dillon?s bases-loaded double off RedHawks reliever Doug Mathis. The Nashville outfielder received two RBIs on the play and the go-ahead run, scored by Ryan Braun, came plateward due to a fielding error by Oklahoma left fielder Jason Botts. Dillon currently leads Nashville with four RBIs this season.

 

AUDIO: Joe Dillon's Bases-Clearing Double --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-12.mp3

 

Sounds outfielder Brad Nelson singled in the seventh inning, ending an 0-for-13 start to his season. After moving to second on a passed ball, Nelson moved to third on a Chris Barnwell groundout and scored when RedHawks first baseman Nate Gold threw wildly towards the hot corner, increasing the Sounds? cushion to 4-2.

 

Nashville reliever Steve Bray (1-0) picked up the win following 1 2/3 scoreless innings of work that included three strikeouts.

 

Luther Hackman kept things interesting in the ninth, walking the bases loaded after retiring the first two batters, but struck out Gold to secure a scoreless frame and notch his first save of the year.

 

Dillard took a no-decision for the Sounds after allowing two runs on six hits over five innings. The right-hander struck out three batters while walking two. He threw 94 pitches, 56 for strikes.

 

Jose Capellan made his team-leading fourth appearance in Nashville?s seven games and worked a scoreless frame. The hard-throwing right-hander has worked 5 1/3 scoreless frames with only one hit allowed while striking out eight in 2007.

 

Mathis (0-2) took his second loss of the year after giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits over 2 2/3 frames of relief work for Oklahoma.

 

The Sounds travel to New Orleans tomorrow morning to begin their first road trip of the 2007 season. Right-hander R.A. Dickey (0-1, 5.40) will start Friday evening?s 7 p.m. contest, which will be the Zephyrs? home opener. New Orleans will counter with right-hander Jorge Sosa (1-0, 0.00), who defeated the Sounds on Sunday.

 

After a four-game stop in the Crescent City against the Zephyrs, Nashville will continue on to Oklahoma City for another series with the RedHawks.

 

Baseball returns to Greer Stadium on Saturday, April 21, when the Sounds welcome the division-rival Iowa Cubs.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=55651

 

Dillon?s hit wakes up Sounds

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

The Nashville Sounds? offense had effectively been shushed for most of its season-opening homestand.

 

The team had a paltry .170 batting average over the first six games heading into Thursday?s game against Oklahoma. For five innings against the RedHawks, it was more of the same.

 

Then, the Sounds finally made some noise. Joe Dillon hit a three-run double that woke up the Sounds offense and carried Nashville to a 4-2 victory in front of a season-best 5,388 fans at Greer Stadium on Thursday.

 

For Nashville (3-4) it was its third come-from-behind win of the season.

 

?We needed a break and I think we got a break right there,? said Dillon, whose hit bounced awkwardly and then straddled the left field line. ?The way we?ve been swinging the bat everything has been at somebody. I?ll take that.?

 

Oklahoma (2-5) got on the board first with two runs in the fourth off Sounds starter Tim Dillard.

 

Meanwhile, the Sounds? offensive woes continued to begin the game. After second baseman Callix Crabbe?s leadoff single, the Sounds didn?t manage a second hit until the fifth inning. Then in the sixth the offense came alive.

Chris Barnwell and Drew Anderson singled, followed by a Ryan Braun walk that set the stage for Dillon?s clutch hit.

 

Dillon hit a ball that chopped in the infield and then landed on the line in left field. An error by RedHawks left fielder Jason Botts during the play allowed the third run to score.

 

?It?s the beginning of the year. It?s going to take a few games to get going,? Dillon said. ?We?ve got some guys that can swing the bat.?

 

Nashville added a thank-you-very-much insurance run in the seventh when Brad Nelson singled and later scored on a throwing error by Oklahoma?s Nate Gold.

 

Looking for his first win of the season, Sounds starter Dillard lasted five innings. He scattered six hits over five innings and 94 pitches for one earned run.

 

?I threw a lot of pitches. A lot of deep counts,? Dillard said. ?I kept trying to get ahead and kept throwing balls.?

Dillard was aided by a pair of excellent defensive plays that prevented more damage ? one by Crabbe and another by Dillon.

 

?Our defense has been great all year,? Dillard said. ?That?s why, a lot of times instead of trying to strike guys out just make them swing the bat. We?ve got a great defense behind us.?

 

Sounds reliever Luther Hackman made it an adventure in the ninth. After retiring the first two batters, Hackman walked the bases loaded before fanning Gold to earn the save and end the game.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS

 

Sounds escape with

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

The biggest crowd of the season at Greer Stadium saw the Sounds hold on in a big way Thursday night.

 

Leading by one run in the sixth inning, Nashville allowed Oklahoma no hits over the last three innings on the way to a 4-2 victory.

 

Oklahoma loaded the bases in the top of the ninth on three consecutive walks, but Sounds pitcher Luther Hackman struck out Nate Gold to end the game and pick up the save.

 

The crowd of 5,388 watched the Sounds get their second consecutive win over the RedHawks in the final game of a seven-game homestand.

 

"I don't think I was loose because it's kind of cold. ? I walked three guys, so I had to get the last guy out so that we could win this game,'' Hackman said.

 

"It was really important that we win this game. We needed to hang in there. When it starts warming up I think we'll start hitting the ball better; pitchers will start throwing a little better and stop walking guys."

 

Two Nashville runs came on errors by Oklahoma (2-5). The first was in the sixth, giving the Sounds a 3-2 lead The next in the seventh made it 4-2.

 

In the sixth, RedHawks left fielder Jason Botts botched his throw to third to let Ryan Braun score. In the seventh, RedHawks third baseman Tug Hulett lost the ball, allowing Brad Nelson to put Nashville up 4-2. The run was earned.

 

"We just hadn't had any breaks up until this game,'' said Sounds outfielder Joe Dillon, whose bases-clearing double gave Nashville the 3-2 lead. "For sure, it shows a lot character for us to play nine innings like that and come out on top."

 

Nashville finished with eight hits, one shy of the season-high nine, which came in Tuesday night's 5-4 win over Oklahoma.

 

Nashville Box Score:

We love Steve Bray, but three walks uncharacteristic...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

Frustration in the 5th -- fortunately, better results the next inning...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS

 

Touted Brewers prospect on mound

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Right-hander Tim Dillard, the 15th-best prospect for the Milwaukee Brewers, was on the mound for the Sounds on Thursday night against Oklahoma.

 

Dillard was scheduled to make his second appearance with the Sounds on Wednesday, but the game was rained out.

 

Through five innings, Dillard struck out three, walked two and allowed six hits and one earned run on 94 pitches. He was replaced by Steve Bray in the sixth.

 

The 23-year-old Dillard from Sarasota, Fla., was a Southern League All-Star with Double-A Huntsville last season and was the Brewers' minor league pitcher of the year in 2005 with Advanced-A Brevard County.

 

Super play: Sounds' second baseman Callix Crabbe pulled off one of the best defensive plays of the season in the top of the second inning Thursday night. With one out and Oklahoma's Ramon Vazquez on first, Miguel Ojeda hit a shot to second, which Crabbe reached for and caught. He then tagged out Ojeda for an unassisted double play.

 

String music: Two guitars were presented before Thursday's game. One went to Sounds third baseman Ryan Braun and another to pitching coach Stan Kyles for leading Nashville's staff to the 2006 ERA title of the Pacific Coast League.

 

Braun hit his first homer with the Sounds in the first inning of Tuesday's game against Oklahoma. It hit the guitar-shaped scoreboard, which earned him the Copley guitar.

 

Braun is tied for second in the league with five extra-base hits this season.

 

Sounds killer: Oklahoma's Victor Diaz was outstanding at the plate in the series against the Sounds. In three games the outfielder was 7-of-9 with four extra-base hits.

 

Hurling heat: Sounds' pitchers have surrendered only one home run this season, which is the fewest allowed in the PCL.

 

Hometown singers: The Horlick High School choir from Racine, Wis., performed the national anthem before Thursday's game. Sounds utility man Vinny Rottino is from Racine.

 

On the road: Thursday's game concluded an eight-game homestand for the Sounds. They hit the road for the next eight days with four-game series at New Orleans and Oklahoma. Nashville's next home game is April 21 against Iowa.

[Mass Haas]

Final, Game Two: Huntsville 5, Tennessee (Cubs) 1

Sweep those Cubbies!

 

Huntsville Site Doubleheader Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1106

 

Jeff Eure drove in two runs, Brendan Katin scored three times and the bullpen continued to excel, as Huntsville grabbed a 5-1 win in the nightcap to complete a doubleheader @#%$ Thursday at Smokies Park in Sevierville, TN. The Stars won the opener 5-2 and improved to 4-3 on the season, while the Smokies fell to 2-5 in losing their third and fourth straight games. Huntsville has won back-to-back games for the first time this season and scored more than four runs in a game for the first two times, as well.

 

Tennessee starter Donnie Veal, the second rated prospect in the Cubs? organization according to Baseball America, walked the bases loaded in the second inning of the second game before striking out Eure and Guilder Rodriguez. However, pitcher Steve Hammond singled into center field to score Katin with the game?s first run and join Manny Parra as the second Stars? pitcher to drive in a run this season. Hernan Iribarren then worked a walk to force in Lou Palmisano with the second run of the frame. Veal was hurt by wildness again in the third, as Katin walked with one out and eventually came in to score on a two-out infield hit by Eure.

 

Hammond then walked Veal leading off in the home third and he advanced to third base after a Chris Walker single and Issmael Salas fielder?s choice grounder. Jake Fox doubled to left to drive in Veal and move Salas to third but the rally was thwarted when Hammond threw Salas out at the plate after fielding a Josh Kroeger grounder.

 

Veal suffered the loss and dropped to 0-2 after yielding three runs on two hits and seven walks. Huntsville tacked on a run in the fifth inning on another two-out, run-scoring single by Eure and a Palmisano sacrifice fly in the seventh. Hammond picked up his first win of the season by allowing a run on five hits over five frames. Grant Balfour worked two scoreless innings to nail down his second save and recorded five of his six outs with a strikeout for a second straight appearance.

 

Iribarren picked up the Stars first hit in game one with a leadoff bunt single in the fourth and then moved to third base with a steal and throwing error by catcher Chris Robinson. Steve Moss walked and Katin followed with a single to plate Iribarren to break up a scoreless game. Adam Heether delivered a ground-rule double to center field to score Moss and move Katin to third from where he was able to score on a Steve Sollmann sacrifice fly. Max St. Pierre capped the four-run rally against starter Sean Gallagher with his first base hit of the year to chase home Heether.

 

It was the Stars? second four-run inning of the year and the first time they have defeated Gallagher in four starts dating back to last season. The Smokies? right-hander allowed only four runs on 12 hits over 18 innings against Huntsville last season, pitching for West Tenn, the Cubs? Southern League affiliate last season.

 

Tennessee got on the board in the fifth inning against Stars? starter Adam Pettyjohn with a pinch-hit, run-scoring double by Jemel Spearman and a run-scoring single by Robinson. The veteran left-hander worked out of further trouble by fanning Fox to end the inning.

 

Pettyjohn earned his first win after allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, while fanning seven in five innings of work. Robert Hinton tossed a perfect sixth inning and Marino Salas worked a scoreless seventh to earn his first save of the season.

 

The series continues Friday night when Stars send right-hander Mike Jones to the hill in the middle game of the set against Smokies? right-hander Justin Berg.. Coverage will begin at 6:00 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 AM WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Game Two Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_2

 

Huntsville Game Two Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_2

 

Photos by MICHAEL PATRICK / KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL

 

Huntsville pitcher Adam Pettyjohn, right, listens with catcher Maxim St. Pierre, right, as pitching coach Rich Sauveur talks during a trip to the mound in Thursday?s game at Smokies Park.

 

http://mas.scripps.com/KNS/2007/04/12/0413petty_w500.jpg

 

Joe Simokaitis of the Tennessee Smokies is tagged out at home by Huntsville catcher Maxim St. Pierre in the fifth inning of Thursday?s first game of a doubleheader at Smokies Park.

 

http://mas.scripps.com/KNS/2007/04/12/0413smokies_w500.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.knoxnews.com/kns/smok...73,00.html

 

Smokies fail twice in home opener

Pettyjohn's comeback almost a major miracle

By NICK GATES, gates@knews.com

 

SEVIERVILLE - Minor league baseball is full of comeback stories.

 

Wilson Alvarez, Brian Moehler and Aaron Small are among the former major league pitchers, who have pitched their way back to the show.

 

Adam Pettyjohn wants to follow their path.

 

Huntsville's Pettyjohn limited Tennessee to a pair of runs over five innings and the Stars defeated Tennessee 5-2 in the first game of a Southern League doubleheader to ruin the Smokies' 2007 home opener on a chilly Thursday night.

 

The Stars (4-3) won the nightcap 5-1 at Smokies Park before 2,439 and extended the Smokies' losing streak to four. Tennessee starter Donnie Veal (0-2) walked seven in his four innings in the second game and three eventually scored.

 

A 2-5 start was not the way the Chicago Cubs wanted to start the first year of their working agreement with the Smokies.

 

"Definitely not," Tennessee manager Pat Listach said. "The bottom line: We want to win."

 

The Smokies' weaknesses were exposed in the two seven-inning games.

 

"Our pitchers walked too many," Listach said. "We made two mistakes - one each game - on the bases. That's common-sense mistakes we can't afford to make."

 

Tennessee hitters struck out 17 times.

 

"We have to make some adjustments and it'll have to be real quick," Listach said. "We worked on that all spring and a two-strike approach is our routine every day."

 

Pettyjohn's story is a heartwarming saga. He nearly died after a severe case of ulcerative colitis.

 

"I got sick in the offseason between '01 and '02," the 29-year-old from Visalia, Calif., recalled. "When I got married on Jan. 12, I was about 200 pounds. By March 17, I was down to 135."

 

No matter how much food he consumed, pounds fell off Pettyjohn's 6-foot-3 frame. Three major surgeries saved Pettyjohn's life.

 

"There was a fourth procedure at Thanksgiving," he said. "It was a long ordeal."

 

Understandably baseball was the farthest thing from Pettyjohn's mind.

 

"I never even cared if I played the game again," he said. "All I wanted to do was be healthy and live my life."

 

Pettyjohn recovered. He regained his strength and his thoughts turned to baseball again.

 

"Once I got healthy and free and clear from the surgeries and realized everything was going to be all right," he said.

 

Detroit's second-round draft pick in 1998 out of Fresno State is a study in perseverance. He toiled for two years in the obscurity of independent leagues before Seattle showed an interest.

 

Seattle assigned him to San Antonio, the Mariners' affiliate in the Class AA Texas League last year. The Mariners promoted Pettyjohn to AAA Sacramento, where he was 3-2 with a 4.57 earned-run average in 11 appearances.

 

Pettyjohn was satisfied with his progress.

 

"It's tough," he said. "Here I jumped in June first and was pitching at 60 or 70 percent of my (arm) strength and facing hitters in midseason form."

 

The Mariners were not.

 

"Being a free agent, they didn't offer me a contract which is OK," he said. "Milwaukee had kind of been in the picture the past couple of years but it was always too little, too late. I feel this is definitely a good place to be."

 

The Stars struck for four runs on in the fourth inning against Sean Gallagher (1-1).

 

Brendan Katin delivered a run-scoring single and Adam Heether's ground-rule double made it 2-0. Steve Sollmann's sacrifice fly and a run-producing single by Maxim St. Pierre capped the rally.

 

That was enough support for Pettyjohn, who walked three and struck out seven.

 

Pettyjohn is optimistic he can reach his goal.

 

"It's been a long road to get to this point," he said. "Three years of not pitching full strength and taking your bumps and bruises with a grain of salt. There were times I was overwhelmed."

 

Not by the Smokies.

 

"I can still make the adjustments and have the know how to change speeds and set up hitters," he said. "This is all a work in progress."

[tigerbrew]

Quote:

---

Jose Capellan made his team-leading fourth appearance in Nashville in seven games and worked a scoreless frame. The hard-throwing right-hander has worked 5 1/3 scoreless frames with only one hit allowed while striking out eight in 2007.

---

 

Capellan has been impressive so far. If he keeps this up, it's gonna be difficult to keep him down in AAA for much longer.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

 

WHO IS THIS TEAM ANYWAY?

Something to make you think........ The Stars haven't opened a trip to Tennessee with a win since 2001, but is this really the Tennessee Smokies or is it just the Diamond Jaxx in disguise? Technically, this is the Tennessee Smokies, but we can still bat this around back and forth........ In recent history, the Stars actually have been successful in beating the Diamond Jaxx in the first yearly meeting, winning four of the last five times, so even if this is still the Tennessee Smokies, the bodies are the same bodies, morphed each year, of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx......... I'll stop here before I start confusing myself. Gee, wait till they face Mobile!

 

(Note: The Cubs switched AA affiliates this past offseason.)

 

Regardless, the Stars are facing a cast with old and new faces who last year stole 24 bases against us, more than any other team in the league, led by Chris Walker, who stole 15....... Walker, who as their leadoff hitter most times, hit .354 against the Stars last year, was a big reason why the Stars finished with a 7-18 record against the Diamond Jaxx last year......... Walker, off to a .217 start at the plate, was held to just a pair of singles in the 2nd game of this double-header, then erased from the basepaths both times on force outs. With his talent negated, and with the success of both starting pitchers in this game to get off to good starts, the Stars were able to @#%$ both games of a double-header and take a share of the lead in the Northern Division with Chattanooga at 4-3.

 

The Stars won the 1st game with a big four-run 4th inning, beating Sean Gallagher for the first time in four starts dating back to last year...... Hernan Iribarren's single and stolen base lit the fuse as Brendan Katin (3-for-21) singled home Iribarren. Adam Heether's ground-rule double to left-center scored Steve Moss, Steve Sollmann's sac fly scored Katin, and Max St. Pierre picked up his first hit as a Huntsville Star to score Heether and cap the rally.......

 

In the 2nd game, Donnie Veal, the Cubs' # 2 prospect, walked the bases full with nobody out in the 2nd inning, then after striking out Jeff Eure and G. Rod (Guilder Rodriguez), it appeared with Steve Hammond at the plate, he would escape any damage. But Hammond, 4-for-20 at the plate last year, singled up the middle to score Katin (three runs in the double-header) and Lou Palmisano to get the Stars off to a 2-0 lead, one that they would never relinquish....... Veal threw 36 pitches that inning and walked seven before manager Pat Listach went to the pen.

 

The Stars had three more sacrifice flies in this double-header, bringing the season total of five, which leads the Southern League. In the Milwaukee era, the Stars had this many sac flies seven games into the season two other times.

 

At the plate, the Stars are batting just .207 and are the only club in the league not to have hit a home run...... Carolina's Jai Miller homered on Wednesday against Mississippi to affix that stamp on the Stars..... Steve Moss, so far, is the only hitter with a three-hit day, and that was the opener....... After a .294 start in his first four games, Hernan Iribarren is 1-for-10 in his last 3 games........

 

Pitching, is of course, the reason the Stars are 4-3, specifically the bullpen. Grant Balfour (1.69) picked up his 2nd save in three appearances, but even more impressive, another 5K outing. The tally: 12 strikeouts and 0 walks in 5 1/3 innings. Even if it wasn't in his contract, it wouldn't surprise me to hear of a promotion after a month....... In 27 2/3 innings of work, the pen has given up 13 hits, struck out 40, walked three, and carries an ERA of 0.98........ Both Adam Pettyjohn and Steve Hammond managed to get out of the 1st inning trouble that plagued the whole rotation at Joe Davis Stadium. Both pitchers retired the side...... Hammond, however, had a rocky 2nd and 3rd frame --- a double to Matt Craig and a two-out single to Gary Cates in the 2nd inning, and a run on a walk and two hits in the 3rd. Hammond made a play that inning on a comebacker by Josh Kroeger (.381), firing the ball to Palmisano who forced Issmael Salas at the plate.

 

Mike Jones goes for the Stars, Friday, against right-hander Justin Berg....... I believe this is the first time two righties face each other this season..

 

Jimmy Mojica is off to an 8-for-12 start at Class A-West Virginia (Sally)...... Another player to watch: Alcides Escobar of the Brevard County Manatees: a .370 average, despite just drawing one walk, but he's struck out just twice. Can you say "contact hitter?"....... Cole Gillespie drove in three runs in Brevard's 7-2 win over Jupiter in the opener of a double-header, but is off to a slow start at .174

 

Former Stars pitcher Ryan Costello has re-signed with the Camden Riversharks.of the independent Atlantic League....... Another former Stars pitcher, released during spring training, Benito Baez, signed with the Pennsylvania Road Warriors of the same league.

[bork]

Impressive debut by Ford. 4 for 8 with 3 stolen bases and 2 outfield assists.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...-daylight/

 

Ford runs to daylight

Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail Sports Writer

 

Darren Ford had a solid season last year while patrolling center field for the West Virginia Power.

 

Gifted with blazing speed, Ford made difficult fielding plays look routine, while batting .283 and establishing a franchise record with 69 steals in his first full season of professional baseball.

 

And after months of off-season work, Ford seemed poised to once again make a splash in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization.

 

"I learned a lot last season and I did a lot of adjusting during the off-season," said Ford, an 18th-round pick in the 2004 first-year player draft. "I worked on my hitting, my bunting and things like that.

 

"I'm basically using a two-strike approach. I'm just trying to hit the ball on the ground and running.

 

"I want to try to keep pressure on the defense by bunting and just trying to hit the ball gap to gap."

 

But with just a couple of weeks remaining in spring training, Ford's progress came to a sudden halt when the most unexpected of injuries forced him from the playing field.

 

What started out as an ingrown hair on Ford's stomach, soon ballooned to a golf ball sized problem that needed immediate medical attention.

 

"It started off real little and I just really paid it no mind," said Ford.

 

"But it just got bigger and bigger as the days went by and it really started hurting.

 

"I went to the doctor and the doctor had to cut me open to insert a tube to help it drain out."

 

One minor procedure and several stitches later, Ford found himself out of action at a time when he should have been putting the finishing touches on his off-season work.

 

"I couldn't do anything for about three weeks," said Ford. "When the team came back here, I started swinging the bat and doing some outfield drills.

 

"I just tried to help the team out from the sidelines. Whether it was coaching first base, or just helping out some of the younger guys, I did whatever I could do to help."

 

On Thursday evening, Ford was finally able to display his off-season work when he returned to the playing field in a double-header @#%$ of the visiting Lakewood Blueclaws.

 

The Power rallied from a late deficit to win the opener 6-5, on an eighth inning, walk-off homer by third baseman Jimmy Mojica.

 

They finished off the nightcap in similarly exciting fashion with a 3-2 win, on a game-winning RBI single by Chuckie Caufield in the home half of the seventh inning.

 

A few hundred fans watched at frigid Appalachian Power Park as West Virginia improved to 4-3 with the @#%$, while Lakewood dropped to 4-3.

 

For Ford, who finished the evening 4-for-8, with three runs scored and three stolen bases, it was just good to be an active part of the team again.

 

"It's great to be back out there again playing with a new group of teammates," said Ford.

 

"Just going out there and working hard with them, it makes you feel like a part of the team.

 

"We're going to have to do the little things to win.

 

"That's what we're trying to do. I'm just glad to be back playing ball and going out and helping the team.

 

"I've been working hard, but this is the first time I've seen live pitching in a while, so I'm just trying to come out, see the ball and get into good hitting position."

 

One player who has certainly started the season in a good hitting position is the 23-year old Mojica.

 

A free agent signee in December, Mojica is batting a blistering .533 in 15 at bats, with a pair of homers, including Thursday evening's game ender.

 

"I think he (Lakewood reliever Garet Hill) missed his pitch," said Mojica of the game-winning blast. "I think he threw what was supposed to be an outside fastball right down the middle."

 

Mojica turned on the mistake and deposited it in the left-center field bleachers.

 

Mojica's heroics were set up by a three-run seventh inning that erased a 5-2 Blueclaws lead.

 

Michael Brantley, Kenny Holmberg and Andy Bouchie each had RBI in the seventh inning rally.

 

In the nightcap, the Power broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh when Caufield's one-out single to center scored Brent Brewer with the game-winner.

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Bob Wojcieszak

The West Virginia Power?s Jimmy Mojica celebrates with coaches and teammates after his solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Lakewood Blueclaws in the first game of double-header Thursday at Appalachian Power Park.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/0413power.jpg

[pogokat]

geez, that's gross

[wvpowerblkwel]

Gross as it may be, it came with two more stolen bases tonite, that's 5 in 2 days back from the DL! Michael Brantley also stole second and third on 3 pitches giving him 4 on the early year! It's great to be in WV where the outfielders run fast and the pitchers seem to climb out of here even faster (ie. YO, Inman and Thatcher the last 2 years!)