PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Borders Powers Sounds To Twinbill Split

Published on April 24, 2005 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Veteran catcher Pat Borders belted his second home run of the game, a two-run shot off Will Cunnane in the bottom of the sixth inning, to propel the Nashville Sounds to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Iowa Cubs in the nightcap of a Sunday doubleheader at Greer Stadium.

The 41-year-old Borders – who hit his first roundtripper of the year in the second inning, a solo shot – drove in three runs, scored three runs, and enjoyed his first two-homer game since September 2002.

With the 5-4 win in the second game, Nashville (10-8) gained a split of the doubleheader after dropping the opener, 5-2, and held onto sole possession of first place in the American Conference Northern Division, one game ahead of Omaha.

The Sounds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the nightcap on Brad Nelson's first-inning RBI double and Borders' second inning solo shot off Iowa starter Sergio Mitre. Iowa got one run back in the fourth on a Geovany Soto RBI single before David Kelton, who extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-4 effort, tied the contest with an RBI double in the fifth. Cubs leftfielder Angel Echevarria gave the visitors a 3-2 lead with a two-out RBI single off Sounds starter Jeff Housman later in the frame.

Nashville knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth on Rickie Weeks' two-out RBI single but missed an opportunity to do more damage as Iowa reliever Eddie Oropesa fanned cleanup hitter Brad Nelson with the bases loaded to end the inning and escape a jam.

After Julio Santana struck out the side on 14 pitches in the top of the sixth, Borders delivered his eventual game-deciding second homer with one out in the bottom of the inning to give Nashville a 5-3 lead.

Iowa didn't go down without a fight against Sounds reliever Jeff Bennett in the seventh. Richard Lewis and Kelton opened the frame with back-to-back singles then Scott McClain drew a walk to load the bases with one out. In a 12-pitch at-bat, Cubs first baseman Rick Bell followed with a sacrifice fly to center, which plated Lewis to make it a 5-4 game. Kelton attempted to gain third base on the play and was thrown out by Nashville centerfielder Dave Krynzel for the second out of the inning. Bennett then fanned Echevarria to end the contest.

Santana (2-0) earned the win with his impressive inning of relief work, while Cunnane (0-1) shouldered the loss after giving up Borders' second homer. Bennett registered his fourth save of the year.

The Sounds scored quickly in the opener, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out, two-run single by third baseman Kevin Orie, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Iowa cut the lead in half in the second when Mike Fontenot scored an unearned run on Mark Johnson's RBI single.

Iowa came back to grab a 4-2 lead with a three-run fifth using only one hit against Sounds starter Ben Hendrickson. Johnson walked to open the frame and was erased on a fielder's choice grounder. Pinch-hitter Rick Bell walked and Calvin Murray was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Micah Hoffpauir, who knotted the game with a sacrifice fly to left. David Kelton followed with a two-out, two-run single to center to put the visitors in front. The Cubs added an insurance run in the sixth when Fontenot scored on a Johnson groundout.

Russ Rohlicek (1-0) picked up his first victory of the 2005 season in relief for the I-Cubs, while Hendrickson (0-2) absorbed the loss after allowing five runs in his six innings of work.

The teams continue the series with a 7 p.m. meeting on Monday evening at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Rick Helling (1-0, 7.41) will take the hill for the Sounds to face Iowa right-hander Todd Wellemeyer (0-1, 5.14).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 24, 2005


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