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SAL1 Jersey Shore BlueClaws

BlueClaws Win Playoff Opener 4-2

September 9, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release


KANNAPOLIS, NC - Matthew Way pitched a gem, his seven inning effort went a long way in winning game one of the South Atlantic League Northern Division Championship Series by the score of 4-2 on Wednesday night. The series is a best-of-three that continues in Lakewood, NJ on Friday night.

The Intimidators (0-1) got on the board first as two base hits and a double plated a run in the very first inning off of Matthew Way but the lefty then settled down and did so in a big way.

Way (1-0) ended up pitching seven innings allowing just the one run in the first inning. He struck out seven and walked just one. The lefty from Alaska was a member of the 2009 draft class and he made a quick impression on the coaching staff to earn him a start in the first game of the series. Matthew Way did not disappoint.

The BlueClaws (1-0) got on the board in the second inning with an unearned run as Sebastian Valle led the inning off with a ground ball to the shortstop that was thrown high and into the seats on the right hand side. After a sacrifice bunt from Brian Gump, Travis Mattair punched a single through a drawn-in infield to tie the game up at one.

The BlueClaws grabbed two runs in the third inning as D'Arby Myers walked to lead the inning off before Anthony Gose singled. With runners on second and third, Travis d'Arnaud singled in Myers to take a 2-1 lead. The other run came in as starter Charlie Leesman threw a wild pitch.

Leesman (0-1), the SAL leader in wins in the regular season, went five innings and allowed three runs, two earned. Those numbers were a far cry from what Leesman did against Lakewood in the regular season when he went twenty straight batters without allowing a hit. He allowed eight hits in the game on Wednesday.

The BlueClaws left runners on second and third in both the fourth and sixth and left the bases loaded in the seventh but broke through again with a run in the eighth.

With one out, Myers walked again, was singled to third by Gose and scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make it 4-1. The BlueClaws though, left the bases loaded again in the inning.

In the eighth the BlueClaws brought in Austin Hyatt and he delivered with a 1-2-3 inning but things got interesting in the ninth. Santo Hernandez came on and allowed a leadoff single before recording the first out. He then balked twice and sent Luis Sierra to third. With the runner on third, Hernandez walked Dan Black before an RBI- groundout which made it 4-2. Hernandez then faced Kenny Williams, who almost tripled down the line in right but the ball was called foul before striking out to end the ballgame.

The BlueClaws return home to play their first home playoff game since they won the title in 2006. In the game, which will take place on Friday, September 11th at 7:05, the BlueClaws will start Trevor May (4-1) and he will be opposed by Joseph Serafin (3-1), who is taking the start from the injured Stephen Sauer. Should the BlueClaws lose game two of the series, game three of the series will take place on Saturday at 7:05 pm. Tickets are still available for the playoffs and can be purchased by calling the BlueClaws Box Office at 732-901-7000 or in person at the BlueClaws Box Office.

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South Atlantic League Stories from September 9, 2009


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