SAL1 Jersey Shore BlueClaws

BlueClaws and Crawdads split doubleheader

July 15, 2004 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release


LAKEWOOD – Carlos Rodriguez belted a three-run home run and CJ Woodrow worked five solid innings to lead Lakewood past Hickory 5-2 in the second game of a doubleheader Thursday afternoon at FirstEnergy Park. The Crawdads pounded out 10 hits and won the opener 4-3 behind Wardell Starling and shutout relief from Josh Sharpless and Chris Hernandez. The BlueClaws improved to 9-11 in the second half and 40-47 overall, while the visitors dropped to 12-8 in the second half and 51-39 overall.

Justin Lord, making his second start for the Crawdads since joining the team after spending the first three months of the season in high-A ball with Lynchburg, walked Michael Bourn, Javon Moran and Bryan Hansen to load the bases with one out in the first. Randy Ruiz lofted a sacrifice fly to plate Bourn with the game's first run before Rodriguez launched the first pitch he saw for his sixth home run of the year to make it 4-0 Lakewood. It was his first long ball since June 15 and his third at home. Lord was lifted after one inning because of tightness in his right pitching shoulder. Yoann Torrealba worked four innings in relief and gave up one run on Ruiz's second sacrifice fly of the day in the third inning.

Woodrow allowed a pair of runs in the third on a sacrifice fly by Mike Cockrell and a two out run-scoring double by Bobby Kingsbury. Hickory loaded the bases in the fifth with two outs but Woodrow got Brad Rea to ground out to the mound to end the threat. Brad Overton worked a scoreless sixth and Maximo Reyes fanned the side in the seventh to earn his fourth save of the year. The right-hander has recorded two wins and two saves in his last four appearances.

Rea's run-scoring double in the fifth inning of the first game scored Nyjer Morgan to give Hickory a 4-3 lead. The Crawdads had plated three runs on five hits in the second inning to forge a 3-1 lead before the BlueClaws got a sacrifice fly from Josh Mader in the home second and a run-scoring ground out off the bat of Bryan Hansen in the third to knot the game at three.

Scott Mathieson suffered the loss and dropped to 5-6 after allowing all four runs on seven hits and one walk. The right-hander fanned three and lasted at least five innings for the 13th time in 16 starts. Starling got the win after going five innings and permitting three runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out four and left runners stranded at second and third with one out in the fourth. Hernandez struck out two of the three hitters he faced in the ninth to earn his 15th save.

The BlueClaws will wrap up the series with Hickory Friday night at 7:05 p.m. when right-hander Nate Cabrera takes the mound against Crawdads southpaw Brian Holliday. All BlueClaws games, home and away, can be heard on 1160 WOBM AM and www.sportsjuice.com. Coverage of Friday's game will begin at 6:50 p.m.

Check out the Jersey Shore BlueClaws Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from July 15, 2004


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