Edenton Homers Twice, Eliminates SwampDogs
August 9, 2013 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, N.C - Connor Cuff pitched six and two-thirds innings of two-run ball and Josh Hampton hit his first home run of the postseason as the Edenton Steamers (42-12, 2-1) eliminated the Fayetteville SwampDogs (30-25, 1-2) 6-4 at Historic Hicks Field on Friday night.
Josh Hampton (Wilmington University) hit a three-run home run, his tenth of the summer, to give Edenton a 3-2 lead in the fourth, a lead they would not relinquish, adding runs in the fifth and sixth to close out the Fayetteville SwampDogs in the best-of-three series and move on to the semi-final round for the fourth straight season.
Connor Cuff (University of Pennsylvania) got the nod from Steamers head coach Brian Hill despite being under the weather for the past few days and Cuff did not disappoint.
Fayetteville, who managed only two home runs all season long as a team, connected for a two-run home run in the top of the first. Ransom Lalonde hit a two-out double and Brian Celsi put one off the top of the storage shed in centerfield for a 2-0 lead.
Fayetteville clung to their two-run lead until the bottom of the fourth when Laz Villa (Reedley College) and Chase Harris (University of New Mexico) began the inning with back-to-back infield singles.
Hampton came up and hit a high fly ball, deep to left field. The ball hugged the foul line all the way until it was called a fair ball and Edenton had a 3-2 lead. For Hampton, who had two hits, showed signs of offensive life, entering the game he was on a 1-for-18 streak at the plate.
Alex Delgado (Emmanuel University) left the building, a solo home run, in the fifth for a 4-2 Steamers lead. And Edenton tacked on two more runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Delgado and Dominic Fratantuono (Towson University), in the lineup for the first time since July 30th .
Fayetteville scored a run in the seventh on an infield RBI single by Mitchell Kranson and another run in the ninth against Jake McCoy (college of the Desert) on a Kranson RBI single to close the gap to 6-4 Steamers.
McCoy retired the 'Dogs in the ninth after Rohn Pierce (Canisius College) pitched a one, two, three eighth, to pick up his 12th save of the season and first in the post season.
Cuff pitched six and two-thirds innings and allowed 10 hits and three runs on three walks and he struck out four. Cuff battled after allowing the early two-run home run to earn the win. He improves to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the Petitt Cup Playoffs.
Ben Burns lasted four and two-thirds innings, allowing five hits and four runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out three. He fell to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in the playoffs.
Edenton, with the win, runs their home record to 23-3 overall at Hicks Field and 42-12 overall. The Steamers will travel to Peninsula on Sunday to begin the East Division Championship Series against the Pilots. First pitch from War Memorial Stadium at 7:05 p.m., gates open at 6:00 p.m.
Coastal Plain League Stories from August 9, 2013
- Blowfish Win, 4-3 - Lexington County Blowfish
- Edenton Homers Twice, Eliminates SwampDogs - Edenton Steamers
- Blowfish Win In Extras 4-3 Over HiToms! - Lexington County Blowfish
- Pilots Take Game Three 8-2 over Sharks - Wilmington Sharks
- Edenton Falls Apart in Ninth - Edenton Steamers
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