Cats Score Nine off Captains Bullpen to Get 12-Inning Win

Published on July 29, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


FORT WORTH, Texas - The Shreveport-Bossier Captains held a 7-1 lead over the Fort Worth Cats after six innings on Thursday night at LaGrave Field. But the Cats scored two runs in the seventh inning, two in the eighth, four in the ninth and one in the 10th before finally beating the Captains 11-10 on a Brian Fryer single with the bases loaded and no one out in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Nick McCoola started the frame with a flare double down the leftfield line against Cardoza Tucker (1-3), forced into emergency relief. Kennard Bibbs then walked on four pitches despite trying to bunt, and Kevin Thompson reached on a bunt single to load the bases.

Captains manager Ricky VanAsselberg then brought in Glenn Wilson for leftfielder Palmer Karr, putting him as a fifth infielder in front of the second base bag, but Fryer lined a 2-0 pitch past the dive of second baseman Zach Welch to send the crowd home happy.

Back after missing nearly two weeks due to a strained hamstring, the Captains' Bryan Sabatella started the night with a walk off lefty starter Joel Kirsten. After a strikeout, a span of nine pitches sent Sabatella and three of his mates home. First, All-Star Game MVP Christopher Garcia doubled to left-center to start the scoring. Then, fellow All-Star Palmer Karr hit a long home run to left on a full-count pitch to make it 3-0. On the next pitch, Uriak Marquez went back-to-back with Karr to left, giving the Captains (40-28, 11-10 2nd half) a 4-0 lead.

Ryan DiPietro struggled with his command throughout the night, but was able to get into position to get the win. He faced his biggest jam in the first inning, allowing a walk, double and another walk with one out to load the bases. But the lefty struck out Kelley Gulledge on a 2-2 pitch before inducing a pop-up by Jeremy Sauceda to end the inning.

The reigning pitcher of the week and the winner of Tuesday's All-Star Game gave up his lone run after a leadoff double in the second, but worked out of two-runner jams in the third and sixth, and got a great defensive play by catcher Brian Peterson in the fifth to help keep the Cats (26-30, 8-12) from scoring any more runs in his six innings of work.

Peterson's play came on a double down the leftfield line by Kevin Thompson. Kennard Bibbs, trying to score from first beat the relay throw from shortstop Uriak Marquez, but Peterson blocked the plate and got the out.

The Captains had extended their lead to six in third with three unearned runs, scoring on a wild pitch and then two-out RBI hits by Joe Urtuzuastegui and Zach Welch.

But Kirsten kept the Captains off the scoreboard in his other five innings, as the Cats finally drew closer with two runs (one earned) against reliever Mark Haynes in the seventh. Haynes struck out Jose Duran with the bases loaded to end the inning, however, and the Captains got an insurance run back off Doug Hurn in the top of the eighth.

That run proved valuable when Marcus Salmon, pitching for just the second time in two weeks, did not record an out against three batters in the bottom of the eighth. Justin Young came in and walked Fryer to force in a run, before John Allen grounded out to bring in another. Young was able to stop the bleeding there, though, getting a popup and a groundout to keep Shreveport-Bossier three runs in front.

The scenario repeated itself in the ninth. The Captains got an insurance run off Robert Romero, but Young loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom half. Closer Hector Carrasco came on and allowed a single to Bibbs before hitting Thompson to force in another run. Fryer then ripped a two-run single to left to tie the game, before Carrasco reared back and struck out two and got a groundout to force extra innings.

Sabatella led off the 10th with a walk, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Karr's RBI single, but Carrasco again allowed the tying run to score on three straight one-out hits in the bottom of the 10th. Cats relievers Scott Vander Weg and Dustin Cameron (2-2) kept the Captains off the scoreboard the rest of the way, setting up Fryer's game-winner.

Notes: DiPietro walked five batters, surpassing his season high of three which he had done twice previously.Eight of the nine Captains had at least one hit, but no one had more than two.Nine of the 10 Cats hitters had at least one hit as well, but Bibbs did have four hits and McCoola had three.The teams combined for 34 men left on base, including a new league-record 22 by the Cats (although three were left on when the game ended).Each team used six pitchers.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains continue their four-game series against the Fort Worth Cats on Friday, July 30, at 7:05 p.m. The Captains are back home on Monday, August 2, against Wichita to start a three-game series and a nine-game, 10-day, season-long homestand. The first game is Jose Cuervo Presents Margarita Monday/Ladies' Night, with free admission for women over 21 and discounted Jose Cuervo Margaritas throughout the game. All games are broadcast on ESPN Radio, KRMD-1340 AM as well as streaming live on supertalk1340.com. For information on tickets, promotions, advertising, and other opportunities with the Captains, check out the team's Web site at www.sbcaptains.com, or call the Fair Grounds Field office at (318) 636-5555.

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