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SAL1 Asheville Tourists

Intimidators slug three homeruns to win

June 7, 2006 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release


Don't tell Zach Simons that the Kannapolis Intimidators can't hit a baseball - The tall right hander was subjected to a barrage of offense, giving up seven runs, all runs coming off of three home runs, all within the first four innings.

The right hander from Idaho found himself facing a three run defecit without registering an out in the game. Second Baseman Brandon Johnson led off with a double, and then crossed home plate as right fielder Anderson Gomes singled on a ground ball to shortstop Christopher Nelson. Things got worse, as Fernando Valenzuela Jr stepped up to hit his third home run of the season, clearing the right field wall despite the efforts of Daniel Carte.

The Tourists did battle straight back offensovely, working two runners around the bases in the top of the second, Cook and Robledo hitting back to back RBI doubles, and Simons settled down into his rythm, allowing a walk and a single in the second inning, and sitting the home batters down in order in the third.

Things went wrong though in the fourth inning. Hernandez led off with a double to right, and one out later Leonardo Acosta walked. This set up a three-run blast over the right field wall by Brandon Johnson to give the Intimidators a four run lead.

The home hitters did not stop there - during the very next at bat Anderson Gomez planted a solo home run shot over the left field line, completing the scoring for Kannapolis, ending Simon's spell on the mound, and sending the small but faithful crowd of 882 "Krazy with a K".

It's hard to begrudge these fans the excitement - the fourth inning was only the third time in 58 games that the Intimidators have managed to bat around their order in what has been a poor season for them.

Buzz Vargas took the mound, and pitched through to the last inning, allowing only two hits during 3.2 innings of work, and Brett Strickland finished off the ninth inning with the usual "three up three down" efficiency, but the early damage of those long balls would prove the deciding factor.

The Tourists did cut the lead down to three runs with a brace in the sixth inning. Chris Nelson led off with a double, and then crossed home plate when Jason Van Kooten drove the ball through the middle for a single. He himself came home to score when Christopher Cook sent the ball the same way for an RBI single. Cook would end the day two for three with a walk.

Following this brief burst of offensive activity however, the only two batters to reach base did so on ball four, and the Tourists never looked like closing the gap.

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