Harden Hard to Hit as Cats Sweep Abilene

July 12, 2012 - North American League (NAmL)
Fort Worth Cats News Release


ABILENE, TX - He was not quite Blake Nation from Wednesday night, but he wasn't too far off. Trevor Harden sneered at the Abilene lineup on Thursday night on the way to his third victory of the season, lasting seven innings and allowing five hits as the Cats won for the fourth consecutive time at Walt Driggers' Field, 7-2.

Harden knifed through the side in order in the bottom of the first before allowing a one-out double to Joe Weik in the second. After Weik's opposite field two-bagger, Harden spanned 12 batters before allowing the second Abilene hit, a Zach Welch infield single to start the sixth. Of the seven innings he worked, Harden set down the side in order four times and faced no more than five batters in every inning but the sixth.

The Prairie Dogs handed the ball to Braden Tullis on Thursday night, and the 22-year-old righty experienced little trouble in the top of the first.

However, the Cats broke through in a big way when they sent all nine batters to the dish in the second. The first five Cats reached in an inning highlighted by a pair of run-scoring singles, first from Derek Marshall - who went 3-for-5 with a pair of R.B.Is - and then from Chuck Caufield, the latter creating a 3-0 Cats lead. In total, Tullis allowed five and walked a batter in the three-run second.

After stranding the bases loaded in the third, the Cats tacked on two more in the top of the fourth. Caufield started the inning with a walk and stole second before Shelby Ford reached on an error and moved up on a wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position, Jose Ruiz drove in a run with a groundout, and Chad Gabriel notched a sacrifice fly to center field.

Trailing 5-0, the Dogs finally cracked Harden in the bottom of the sixth. After back-to-back singles from Welch and Jason Martin and a Danny Gonzalez fly out, Wilson Batista knocked in Abilene's first run with a sacrifice fly. Geraldo Valentin then punched a single to right field, scoring Martin and drawing the Prairie Dogs to within three, 5-2.

However, the Cats snapped the lead right back to five with a pair of seventh inning runs off Scott Vander Weg. Kenny Gilbert scored on a wild pitch and Marshall drove in Brandon Jones with a single to widen the lead to 7-2.

Jeff Jamnik allowed a hit and walk in a non-save situation in the ninth before getting Zach Crosswhite to pop out to first base to end the game.

Both teams head to Fort Worth for an unconventional double header on Friday night. The teams will play the remainder of Tuesday's game - which was postponed due to rain in the bottom of the third inning - before subsequently playing a seven inning contest at LaGrave Field. Tickets can be purchased online at FWCats.com or by phone at (817) 332-CATS.



North American League Stories from July 12, 2012


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