CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Take Two Steps Back In Doubleheader Sweep

Published on June 5, 2007 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks dropped both ends of a critical doubleheader against the Kinston Indians at Frawley Stadium on Tuesday night. Recently promoted right-hander Jason Godin struggled in the opener, allowing six runs on nine hits in a 7-5 Wilmington loss. In the nightcap, Nathan Panther tagged Patrick Green with a solo homer to lead off the top of the eighth, helping the K-Tribe previal 3-1. The Blue Rocks (27-30) have now dropped three-straight contests and six of their last seven to fall three games under .500 for the first time since May 8 when they were 14-17. The pair of losses drops Wilmington two full games in back of Lynchburg for first place in the Carolina League's Northern Division with 11 games remaining in the season's first half.

In game one, Godin (0-2) allowed just a run on four hits through the first four innings. But, the Kinston offense opened fire on the 22-year-old Alaska native in the fifth, batting around and plating five runs on five hits to take a 6-0 lead. Left fielder John Drennen, who finished the game 3-for-4, laced a two-run double to the right field corner to cap the scoring in the frame. Godin, who was received from Low-A Burlington on May 2, lasted just 4.2 innings before giving way to David Humen. The six earned runs he surrendered matched a career-high, which he set in his Blue Rocks debut the week prior.

Down 7-1 in the sixth, the Rocks made it a ballgame when Kila Kaaihue clubbed his team-leading ninth home run, a sky-scraping three-run shot to right off Kinston starter Frank Herrmann to make it 7-4. Brian McFall followed with a hard-hit single to left to chase Herrmann, who went five-plus, allowing four runs on nine hits. Dan Cevette came on to finish the sixth, getting three consecutive outs to preserve the lead for Herrmann (4-1).

Wilmington climbed to within two with a tally in the seventh off Cevette. Marc Maddox drove in his first run in nine games with an RBI single to plate Jose Duarte, making it 7-5. Duarte finished the game 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Kyle Collins came on with one on and one out and walked Kaaihue and Brian McFall to load the bases. But, the right-hander recovered to strike out Miguel Vega to end the first contest and notch his first save of the season.

Game two was a 1-1 stalemate through the first seven innings. The K-Tribe produced a run on two hits in the first inning off reliever-turned-starter Rayner Oliveros. The Rocks answered in the home-half of the first with a run of their own, thanks to a Mario Lisson sac fly.

Solid pitching by Oliveros and his Kinston counterpart, Josh Tomlin, kept both teams off the scoreboard for the rest of the seven-inning regulation. Oliveros, making his first start since last season with Low-A Burlington, held the Indians to just a single run on four hits with six strikeouts over five innings. Tomlin, making his Carolina League debut after being called-up from Low-A Lake County, limited the Blue Rocks to one run on three hits over six outstanding frames.

Green (0-3) came on to pitch for the Rocks in the sixth and held the Indians at bay until Panther's lead-off blast in the eighth. It was the sixth homer the Alpharetta, GA native has surrendered this season, tying him with Michael Penn for most on the staff. Green also allowed a Mike Butia RBI double in the decisive frame to push Kinston's lead to 3-1.

Jim Deters (4-2), who relieved Tomlin to start the seventh, put the Blue Rocks away in the ninth, working around a Brett Bigler lead-off single to complete the sweep.

The Blue Rocks look to reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week, southpaw Rowdy Hardy (6-0, 1.21), to stop the bleeding, as the series between Wilmington and Kinston wraps up on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Fellow lefty Ryan Edell (5-2, 3.73) throws for the K-Tribe.

GAME NOTES:

Tuesday's twinbill was the second doubleheader the Blue Rocks have played this season. The previous double dip was back on May 12 in Salem, as the Rocks and Avalanche split the pair.

With hits in both games, Jose Duarte extended his hitting streak to nine games. The Wilmington center fielder went a combined 5-for-6 with double and three runs scored in doubleheader. The nine-game streak is the longest of the year for Duarte and ties Valentino Arce for the second-longest streak by a Blue Rock this season. Marc Maddox's 12-gamer tops the list.

Rayner Oliveros' five-inning outing matched his season-high for innings pitched in a single game. The Venezuelan right-hander tossed five frames out the bullpen against the Frederick Keys on May 2 to record his lone win of the season.

The extra-inning loss in the nightcap drops Wilmington's record to 1-6 in games that go past regulation length.

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Carolina League Stories from June 5, 2007


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