Big Bats Carry Cats Past Trappers

June 15, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release


First baseman Graham Koonce homered and drove in four runs as the Sacramento River Cats downed the Edmonton Trappers 14-8 Saturday night at TELUS Field. The River Cats, who have the best record in the Pacific Coast League at 45-25, have now won four consecutive games from the Trappers and are 7-3 overall against Edmonton. Sacramento has won four of the six games played at TELUS Field this season. They are the only team in the league to have a winning record at TELUS Field against the Trappers this season. The River Cats entered the night with 77 home runs, the most in all the minor leagues, and added two more longballs to their total on this night. Sacramento also leads the league in runs scored with 409. They have scored 63 runs in 10 games against the Trappers this season. The Trappers and River Cats continue this four-game series on Sunday afternoon at TELUS Field.

For the third consecutive game the Trappers opponent opened the scoring in the first inning. Second baseman Esteban German started the inning with a single to left-center. He moved to third on Jason Grabowski's base hit up the middle and scored on a two-out single by Koonce. The Trappers tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with a single run off Sacramento starter Mike Wood. With two out in the frame third baseman Scott Hodges singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Randy Knorr followed with a single to left-center that plated Hodges with the tying run. With one out in the third inning Grabowski doubled to left-center and Dave McCarty followed with a walk. Koonce then smashed a Britt Reames' pitch over the fence in right field for his team-leading 14th home run of the season. With one out in the top of the fourth German singled and Bobby Crosby followed with a base hit of his own that put runners at first and second. Bo Donaldson replaced Reames and promptly surrendered a three-run home run to Grabowski, his seventh dinger of the season.

Joe Vitiello and Matt Cepicky opened the fourth inning with back-to-back singles to left field. They advanced on a wild pitch and Valentino Pascucci drew a walk that loaded the bases for Hodges, who doubled to the gap in left-center. Vitiello and Cepicky scored on the two-base hit. Justin Lehr replaced Wood, but yielded a two-run single to Knorr that drew Edmonton to within two runs of the lead. The River Cats scored three unearned runs off Donaldson in the sixth inning. With two out McCarty reached on an error by Donaldson. Koonce drew a walk and Edwards singled to center, scoring McCarty. Michael Lockwood then singled to right, scoring Koonce. The ball got past Sledge in right field, allowing Edwards to score the River Cats tenth run. Peter Bergeron scored on an infield single by Cepicky in the seventh and Anthony Medrano crossed home plate on a single by Pascucci. Lockwood plated McCarty and Edwards with a two-run single in the eighth and moved to second on an error by Cepicky. Luis Lopez then singled, scoring Lockwood from second. Crosby tripled with one out in the top of the ninth and scored on a single by McCarty. With two down in the bottom of the inning Pascucci doubled to right field, plating Sledge with Edmonton's eighth run.

Highlights:

Trappers: Are 16-13 at home.are 0-2 on an eight-game homestand that will see the top two clubs in the PCL visit TELUS Field.are 12-22 against clubs with winning records.are 8-24 when the opposition scores the first run, including a 5-10 mark at TELUS Field. Sacramento leads the season series, 7-3.Sacramento leads the All-Time series between the two clubs, 22-20.

3B Scott Hodges: Was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double and two RBI extending his hitting streak to six games.is 11-for-25 (.440) during the streak.has driven in seven runs in his last eight games, June 8 (G1)-14.

Alumni Report:

1B Jason Giambi (NYY) vs. STL: Hit two, two-run homers in consecutive at-bats off Brett Tomko in the second and third innings as the Yankees crushed the Cardinals 13-4.scored three runs and drew two walks.has now hit 17 home runs and has 46 RBI.



Pacific Coast League Stories from June 15, 2003


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