Cats Pitchers Combine for 19 K's, Split Doubleheader
August 4, 2012 - North American League (NAmL)
Fort Worth Cats News Release
Fort Worth starters Blake Nation (7-3) and Trevor Harden (7-4) and relievers Kane Holbrooks and Jeff Jamnik combined to fan 19 Prairie Dogs over 15 innings pitched in a Saturday night doubleheader against Abilene at LaGrave Field in Fort Worth, TX. The Cats dropped the first pitching duel 2-0 and recovered to win the night cap 3-0 to end a five game losing streak.
"Throwing behind [Nation] is a big advantage in the rotation just to see how he pitches against a team and then I go out and do the same thing," Harden said.
The Cats' hurlers allowed only two runs on nine hits and walked four batters. Fort Worth ace Blake Nation led the four with nine strikeouts in his 7 1/3 innings of work in the first game. Nation had only allowed one infield single through seven innings but unraveled in the eighth and allowed two runs on three hits.
One of those hits was once again a tiebreaking homerun for Abilene coming from designated hitter Bryan Fogle. The Cats would not answer in the bottom of the inning, marring Nation's performance with a loss. Nation simply described the game saying, "it was a battle."
Harden took the torch from Nation and in his first inning on the mound, struck out the side and would set down four more Abilene batters on strikes through the next five innings. Closer Jeff Jamnik picked up his 16th save of the season after striking out two more batters.
Fort Worth's bats finally woke up in the second game and struck early after three consecutive singles from shortstop Shelby Ford, first baseman Jose Ruiz, and third baseman Brandon Jones. Jones's would bring in Ford to give the Cats their first run of the day and an early 1-0 lead. Left fielder Chad Gabriel, who got of a slump with a 2-for-3 game, continued the scoring in the fourth inning knocking in Chuck Caufield after Caufield reached third on a single and a throwing error. Four batters later, Gabriel would score himself on a Jon Dziomba single.
"We just wanted to focus on having some more quality at-bats...with the way our guys are pitching, all we need is a couple," Gabriel said.
With the split doubleheader, Abilene's record is now 27-40 and the Cats' stand with a record of 37-31. Abilene remains in fifth place of the United League and sit 7.5 games out of the playoff picture behind the San Angelo Colts. The Cats continue to battle Rio Grande Valley for the second place spot, a game and a half back of the WhiteWings.
Abilene will travel to San Angelo for a four game set with the Colts in which the Prairie Dogs will try to gain some ground in the playoff race. Fort Worth will also play a crucial four game series with the Edinburg RoadRunners at home that starts Sunday evening at 6:05 p.m. Edinburg sits atop the United League, four games ahead of the Cats. Tickets to the crucial series beginning tomorrow for Fort Worth are on sale at FWCats.com or by phone at (817) 332-CATS.
North American League Stories from August 4, 2012
- Cats Pitchers Combine for 19 K's, Split Doubleheader - Fort Worth Cats
- Fogle powers Dogs - Abilene Prairie Dogs
- Gaines, Jones Homer in Colts' Victory - San Angelo Colts
- Colts Trade Hutson to Amarillo - San Angelo Colts
- RGV Beats McAllen 6-2 - Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings
- Roadrunners Fall Short against Colts - Edinburg Roadrunners
- Baez Leads Wings to Victory - McAllen Thunder
- Cats Add Veteran Pitcher - Fort Worth Cats
- Former AL MVP to Visit Edinburg - McAllen Thunder
- Jose Canseco's Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings Debut Delayed - Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings
- San Rafael Pacifics Welcome Sonoma County Grapes to Town August 6 - San Rafael Pacifics
- Steve Detwiler Makes Season Debut on the Mound, Pitching in Relief - San Rafael Pacifics
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