Flyers survive another St. Paul scare
Published on August 16, 2005 under Northern League (NL)
Schaumburg Flyers News Release
ST. PAUL, MN- A 3-0 ninth inning lead nearly got away from the Schaumburg Flyers on Tuesday, August 16 but CF Eric Cole's diving catch with two outs and the bases loaded preserved a 3-1 victory over the St. Paul Saints at Midway Stadium. The Flyers improved to 16-15 in second half play, 32-47 overall. St. Paul, playoff bound after winning the first half title in the North Division, fell to 13-15, 41-34. Schaumburg stopped a three-game losing streak.
The third place Flyers hoped to gain ground on first place Lincoln in the South Division's second half race as the Saltdogs hosted second place Gary on Tuesday (northernleague.com). Schaumburg had a chance to get to within two games of Lincoln with a Saltdogs loss.
Justin Hendrickson hit two home runs for the Flyers and drove in all three runs, upping his league leading home run total to 27. Raymond Jenkins (6-5) took a shutout into the ninth inning before Nate Cotton came on to record all three outs in the ninth and pick up his seventh save. Saints starter Darren Truty (6-5) pitched seven innings but lost to the Flyers for the first time this year in three tries. He allowed two runs.
Jenkins took a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning as he looked for his second straight complete game win. But memories of last September's league championship series, won by the Saints, and an Opening Weekend St. Paul rally this season were stirred when the first three hitters reached on a pair of singles sandwiched around a four-pitch walk. Billy Munoz stroked an RBI single to knock in Justin Hall from second and cut the Flyers' lead to 3-1. Closer Cotton was then summoned with the tying runs on base and nobody out. T. Brown laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both men to scoring position and Nick Gretz was intentionally walked to put the winning run on base and load the bags. Cotton then bore down and struck out Adam Olow on three pitches. Jeremy Frost was the last hope for the home team and Cotton got ahead 0-2 before Frost took two close pitches to make it 2-2. The St. Paul catcher swung at the next pitch and hit a sinking line drive to the gap in left centerfield. Cole, making his first start of the year at the position after playing there often in 2004, got a good break on the ball and dove with his glove held away from his body to make an enormous catch. The hit almost surely would have tied the game.
Jenkins had retired 15 straight from the second inning until Olow led off the eighth with a single. He allowed one run, earned, in eight-plus innings on four hits. The right-hander struck out five batters and walked just two.
Hendrickson posted his second two-homer game of the year at Midway Stadium after accomplishing the feat on the second night of the season on May 21. He now has four two-homer games on the year. The slugger crushed a two-out, two-run homer in the third inning off Truty to put Schaumburg up 2-0. The home run traveled an estimated 420 feet and cleared a passing freight train beyond the left field wall. It was the second time this season that Hendrickson 'hit the train' in the words of teammates. His second home run was served up by reliever Chris Andel in the eighth inning, a blast that curled fair inside the left field foul pole. Hendrickson had the only multi-hit game for the Flyers on Tuesday. Tim Marks ran his hitting streak to 12 games with a second inning double. Geoff McCallum singled in the first to run his streak to eight straight games.
The Flyers and Saints will play the middle game of their three-game series on Wednesday. RHP Brett Gray (0-0) will oppose Saints RHP Bryan Gaal (8-3). Catch the webcast at flyersbaseball.com.
During the Monday off-day, the Flyers traded OF Marcus Nettles to Sioux Falls for a player to be named later.
Notes: Gregg Neuman, the Hitting Coach for all of the 2003 & '04 seasons, re-joined the coaching staff for the remainder of the season on Tuesday...Eli Albertson was scratched from the game due to bruised ribs, the move that put Cole in center field...Ted Ledbetter started in right field...The Flyers beat St. Paul for the first time since May 21...The Saints lead the season series 5-3...Longtime Flyers ace Hank Woodman is now with St. Paul but is not here this week due to a family illness in Florida...He was not scheduled to pitch in the series...
Northern League Stories from August 16, 2005
- Railcats defeat Saltdogs, 5-2 - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Flyers survive another St. Paul scare - Schaumburg Flyers
- McDonald sparkles in 8-3 T-Bone win - Kansas City Monarchs
- Goldeyes take game one of series - Joliet JackHammers
- Jennie Finch, the Bandits at Silver Cross Field tonight - Joliet JackHammers
- Northern League news, notes - NL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
