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Jersey Shore BlueClaws

BlueClaws fall in bottom of ninth

April 23, 2004 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release


ROME, GA -- Steve Pyzik singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Rome to a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the BlueClaws Friday night in the final game of a four-game set at State Mutual Stadium. The Braves took three of the four games to improve to 9-5 on the season, while the BlueClaws dropped to 6-8 and lost their first series of the season after gaining a split in each of their first three.

Josh Burrus started the winning rally off of Dan Hodges with an infield single and moved to second base on a bunt by Martin Prado, who had collected three hits in four at-bats prior to the sacrifice. Steven Doetsch then lined a 2-1 offering into right field for a base hit that plated Burrus with the tying run. Matt Esquivel struck out on three pitches and Dean White, inserted into the game in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement, drew a walk to set the stage for Pyzik's heroics. The Rome catcher, who entered the contest as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning, stroked the first pitch he saw from Hodges into left field for a base hit. Jake Blalock fielded the ball on one hop and his throw to the plate was on target and held on to briefly by catcher Jose Cortez, who tried to tag out Doetsch but couldn't hold the throw long enough to record an out. Doetsch, who did not slide, crossed over home plate on his initial approach and came back to step on the plate for the winning run. Hodges had worked seven scoreless innings before giving up the tying and winning runs in the ninth and blew a save opportunity for the first time in three attempts.

Rome had missed out on other great chances to score throughout the game, tallying a single run on a ground ball out with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth and another on a double play ball with the bases loaded and nobody out in the fifth. The home team loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against Cory Schultz and looked like they would blow another chance when Carlos Guzman fanned for the second out of the inning. However, Schutlz uncorked a wild pitch that got back to the dirt-warning track behind home plate. Cortez retrieved the ball and his throw to the plate to try to cut down White got past Schultz and allowed White to score. Marc Tugwell picked up the errant throw and his throw back to the plate was not in time to get pinch-runner Cole Barthel, who made the dash to the plate from third with a second run on the play that sliced the Lakewood lead to 5-4.

Victor Menocal worked a scoreless fifth inning in relief of starter Scott Mathieson and induced the double play ball off the bat of Esquivel in that frame, the second straight day in which the Rome outfielder bounced into a twin-killing with the sacks full and nobody out. Kyle Parcus worked shutout relief in the sixth and seventh innings to push his scoreless innings streak to 8 1/3 over five outings.

The BlueClaws posted single runs in the second and third innings, a pair in the fifth and another in the eighth. Jake Blalock had three hits, scored a run and knocked in a run and Michael Bourn and Omar Bramasco each chipped in with a pair of hits. Bryan Hansen knocked in a run with a single in the eighth to give him a team-best 10 on the season and one in each of the four games of the series.

The BlueClaws continue their road trip in Columbus, Georgia on Saturday in the first of a four-game set against the Catfish. Right-hander Erick Arteaga will get the start for Lakewood and will be opposed by Columbus left-hander Chuck Tiffany. Coverage of Saturday's game on 1160 WOBM-AM and www.sportsjuice.com begins at 6:45 p.m.

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