Belza's Triples Propel Hawks to Road Win

Published on May 19, 2012 under Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Silver Hawks News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MICH. - Tom Belza hit two triples and knocked in four runs as the South Bend Silver

Hawks (23-20) defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps 7-5 in front of 9,199 fans at Fifth Third Ballpark

in Comstock Park, Mich. With the win, the Silver Hawks remain a game behind Bowling Green for second

place in the Eastern Division first half standings.

Archie Bradley (6-1) earned the win in his ninth start, allowing four earned runs on six hits over five

innings. The right-hander struck out four and walked four. Tommy Collier (2-3) took the loss for West

Michigan, surrendering a season-high five earned runs on ten hits over six innings. D.J. Johnson tossed

two scoreless innings and struck out three to earn his team-leading fourth save.

Belza hit a two-run triple to right-center in the first inning and hit another two-run triple to straight away

right field in the seventh inning. Belza finished 3-for-5 in the game.

Chris Ellison - the Silver Hawks leadoff hitter - finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs. The outfielder hit a

sacrifice fly in the second inning and singled in a run in the fourth inning. Matt Helm added an RBI single

in the first inning and finished 1-for-4.

The Silver Hawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Whitecaps scored two first-inning

runs to make it 3-2. Steven Moya and Dean Green recorded RBI hits in the first inning for West Michigan.

Leftfielder Tom Belza prevented further damage in the inning by throwing out Green who tried to tag and

score on a fly ball off the bat of Jason King.

Ellison's seventh-inning triple put the Silver Hawks up 7-4. Eugenio Suarez knocked in a run in the eighth

inning to cut the margin to two.

Willy Paredes tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts out of the Silver Hawks bullpen. Keith Hessler

allowed one unearned run on two hits over an inning.

Three times the Whitecaps cut the margin to one - trailing 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4 - but could never tie or take

the lead in the game.

The Silver Hawks and Whitecaps play game two of a three game series Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third

Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Left-hander John Pedrotty (1-3, 5.88)

starts for South Bend and he will be opposed by southpaw Kyle Ryan (1-2, 3.80).

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Midwest League Stories from May 19, 2012


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