Grasshoppers Take Act One of Showdown
Published on May 22, 2009 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release
LAKEWOOD, NJ - In a battle of the top two teams in the South Atlantic League Northern Division, the Greensboro Grasshoppers struck early and held on late to win game one of a four game series 7-4 against the Lakewood BlueClaws on Friday night.
In a battle of five-win pitchers, Jon Velasquez and Johnny Dorn, it was Velasquez who struggled in the early-going and lasted just three innings as he allowed five runs. Velasquez worked a one-two-three first and had two outs in the second before Justin Jacobs doubled home Jeremy Synan and Robert Taylor singled home Synan to take a 2-0 lead.
The Grasshoppers (23-18) then fired for three runs in the third as Paul Gran singled to lead off the inning, and after a pop out, four straight hitters reached base to create trouble for Velasquez and the BlueClaws. The runs made it a 5-0 game before the BlueClaws (23-17) bats started to make some noise.
Jeremy Hamilton doubled and scored in the third to cut the lead to four before the Grasshoppers added a run in the next inning to keep the lead at five. Then Zach Collier batted in the fourth with no one on and two outs. Collier walked and then Troy Hanzawa singled before Hamilton scorched a ball off the wall in right field for a 2-RBI triple. D'Arby Myers then singled for the third run of the inning to make it a 6-4 game.
The Grasshoppers however, would add a run in the fifth as Synan led off the inning with a double and later scored off Jacob Diekman who came on in the fourth in relief of Velasquez. The 7-4 score would hold up for the remainder of the game.
Velasquez (5-2) picked up the loss and has not won in his last four starts, he went three innings and allowed five runs on seven hits for his second loss of the season. Diekman worked four runs in relief and allowed two as he struck out five. Justin De Fratus came on in the eighth and did not allow a run before BJ Rosenberg worked a clean ninth inning.
Dorn (6-1) picked up his league-leading sixth win, but it was not in the same fashion as he had been pitching this season. Dorn had an ERA of 2.64 coming into the ballgame as he allowed four runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings. He was relieved by Wade Korpi who worked out of a jam in the sixth and got his team to the ninth without allowing a run. Peter Andrelczyk came in for the ninth and he picked up his eight save of the season, only allowing a leadoff single.
The loss is the second in a row for the BlueClaws and it moves the Grasshoppers .5 games behind the BlueClaws for first place in the South Atlantic League Northern Division. The BlueClaws look to get back to their winning ways and it will be Tyler Cloyd (4-2) to try and get that done on Saturday at 7:05. Cloyd has been fantastic at home this season and is the guy the BlueClaws need to end the slide. He will be opposed by Tom Koehler (2-2).
South Atlantic League Stories from May 22, 2009
- Legends pound out 13 hits, beat RiverDogs 8-2 - Lexington Legends
- Greenville Wins Wild 13-10 Game - Augusta GreenJackets
- Drive Offense Unleashes 19 Hits in 13-10 Win Over âJackets - Greenville Drive
- Suns top Crawdads, 5-1, in series opener - Hickory Crawdads
- Rome Comes from Behind for the 7-6 Win - Rome Emperors
- Legends Topple RiverDogs, 8-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Grasshoppers Take Act One of Showdown - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Three-run sixth leads Gnats to victory Hot Rods - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Power win back and forth battle in Lake County - Charleston Dirty Birds
- McCurry dominates in 6-2 Intimidators loss - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Suns jump on Hickory bullpen - Hagerstown Suns
- RiverDogs to Host Youth Baseball Camps - Charleston RiverDogs
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