SAL1 Jersey Shore BlueClaws

Claws Drop Double Dip to Hagerstown

Published on June 15, 2013 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release


HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Lakewood BlueClaws (26-40) dropped both ends of the doubleheader to the Hagerstown Suns (37-29) Saturday night at Municipal Stadium.

Game 1 Recap: The Lakewood BlueClaws (26-39) held a lead for the first six innings, but fell, 3-2, in eight innings to the Hagerstown Suns (36-29) in game one, Saturday night from Municipal Stadium.

Down 2-0 in the seventh and final inning, the Suns turned into cardiac mode and tied the game up. Delvi Francisco worked in his first inning and gave up a leadoff single to Stephen Perez and a one out double to Wes Schill that put two on for Wilmer Difo.

Difo got a pitch he could handle and doubled, albeit controversially, down the first base line and into the right field corner to plate the two runs and tie the game. Mickey Morandini came out to argue that the ball was foul, but he was ejected and the call stood.

In the eighth, it was Geoff Broussard on in an attempt to keep the game tied, but he could not. Shawn Pleffner tagged a leadoff double and the next hitter, Brandon Miller, singled home the winning run and walked the Suns off with the 3-2 win.

The Lakewood BlueClaws had the tough task of facing All-Star righty Ivan Pineyro in game one, but struck first in the second inning. Willie Carmona connected with one out and picked up his second home run of the season, a solo shot to right, which put the BlueClaws up 1-0.

Pineyro did not allow another base runner until the fourth. Mitch Walding connected for a double that one-hopped the wall. The righty then tossed a wild pitch during Art Charles' plate appearance to move Walding to third. Charles took ball four, another wild pitch and Walding scampered home the second run for the Claws.

Shane Watson took the mound for the Claws and pitched one of his best games of the year. The righty pitched five scoreless innings and gave up three hits, two walks, and added four strikeouts.

Danny Carela took over for the starter in the sixth and walked the first two he faced. The righty settled in and struck out Brandon Miller for the first out and induced a 5-3 double play to get out of the jam. Francisco gave up the two runs in his one inning and Broussard (2-1) took the loss with the run allowed in the eighth.

Pineyro's night was done after six innings. He allowed the two runs on four hits; he walked one and struck out five. Cody Davis (1-0) took over in the seventh and silenced the bats of the BlueClaws over the final two frames.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center Player of the Game: Wilmer Difo (HAG): 1-2, 2B, 2RBI

Game 2 Recap: The Lakewood BlueClaws (26-40) allowed four runs in the first, and could not respond as the Hagerstown Suns (37-29) took game two, 9-3, and swept the doubleheader, Saturday night at Municipal Stadium.

The scoring started early and came often in the second game of the double dip. After the BlueClaws went quietly in the first, but the Suns jumped all over Steven Inch.

Back-to-back singles by Tony Renda and Khayyan Norfork got the action going in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Brandon Miller struck again, this time with a two run double that put the Suns in front 2-0.

Two hitters later, Estarlin Martinez cashed in with a two-run double of his own and upped the Hagerstown lead to 4-0 in the first.

The BlueClaws responded with a pair of their own in the second against Reynaldo Lopez. The righty retired the side in order in the first, but allowed a one out single to Willie Carmona and gave the BlueClaws some life.

The homerless Larry Greene, Jr. stepped up to the plate and blasted his first bome to the right of center and cut the deficit in half at 4-2.

Inch continued to struggle in the bottom of the second and allowed three more runs on three hits and a sacrifice fly. Will Piwnica-Worms delivered the big blow with his two-run single that capped off the scoring in the frame.

Down 7-2 in the third, the BlueClaws had a chance with the bases loaded and one out. Greene, Jr. stepped in and knocked a sacrifice fly to left and Brian Pointer scored from third to make it 7-3.

The Suns continued to dominate the BlueClaws and went on to plate two more runs in the third to up the lead to 9-3.

Inch (1-3) lasted just two innings in his second start of the season. The righty allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks; he did not strike out a batter. Chris Nichols was the first and only pitcher out of the pen. He allowed just two unearned runs, on two hits; he didn't walk a batter and struck out one.

In his first start of 2013, Lopez pitched well over his four innings of work. The Dominican righty allowed the three runs on eight hits; he walked one and struck out four. Travis Henke picked up where Lopez left off and earned the win in relief. Henke (2-1) pitched three scoreless inning and allowed one hit and struck out three.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center Player of the Game: Larry Greene, Jr. (LWD): 1-2, HR, Sac Fly, 3RBI

The Lakewood BlueClaws and Hagerstown Suns will wrap up the First Half of the season with the finale of the game four series, Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm from Municipal Stadium. RHP Miguel Nunez (5-3, 4.47) gets the nod for Lakewood in game four and will face Hagerstown's LHP Matt Purke (0-1, 4.05).

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 15, 2013


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