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Joes lose 9-8 to Aiken Foxhounds

August 4, 2007 - South Coast League (SCL)
Anderson Joes News Release


Anderson's magic carpet ride of a week came to an abrupt halt Saturday, as the Joes lost, 9-8, to the Aiken Foxhounds in front of 1,808 at Anderson Memorial Stadium.

The Joes trailed by as many as five going into the bottom of the eighth inning, only to mount yet another late-game rally, this time falling just short against their in-state rivals.

In the last meeting between the teams this season, the Joes honored their namesake with Salute to Shoeless Joe Jackson Night, but could not come away with a victory. Anderson entered the game already as series winners and victors of four straight games, looking for its second series sweep of the year.

The Joes got on the right track by jumping out to an early lead, going up 1-0 on Heath Keel's RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. But Aiken scored early -- and often -- themselves.

Garth McKinney hit a solo home run to lead off the second to tie the game, followed by a four-run second inning for Aiken, highlighted by Scott Houin's two-run single, to take the lead.

Anderson (11-12, 24-44 overall) then started to chip away at Aiken's (9-14, 31-37) lead.

Steve Pearson hit his first home run as Joe, a solo shot in the fourth, before Hector Borg and Rafael Alvarez drove in Kevin Noles and Blake Gailen with an RBI single and sacrifice fly, respectively.

Aiken received the insurance it wanted in the eighth, though, with a four-run rally capped by McKinney's three-run homer, his second long ball of the night and seventh against Anderson this season.

The Joes did threaten late, with memories of three walk-off wins in the last four days still fresh in Anderson's collective mind. They batted around for three runs in the eighth before Keel tripled to lead off the ninth.

Pearson's sac fly then drove Keel in, but two ground outs to third base ended any hopes of Anderson scoring the elusive tying run.

Despite the abundance of late action, the starting pitchers each took the decisions. John Ducey won for the Foxhounds, improving to 2-2, while Ronald Ball lost for the Joes, dropping to 2-3. Mark Dewey earned his second save of the year in closing the ninth.

Even with the bookending losses, Anderson played one of its most successful week of the season, going 4-2 with an inclusive four-game winning streak, the Joes' longest streak this year.

With the win, the Foxhounds also secured the Rivalry Cup in the Palmetto Series, presented by Fairchild Roofing, finishing with a 10-8 record against the Joes this season.

Anderson enjoys an off day Sunday before hitting the road for a three-game series at South Georgia. The Joes have yet to win a game at South Georgia this season, but come off back-to-back wins over the Peanuts in Anderson this week, hoping to continue the Joes' recent string of success against the league's first-place team.



South Coast League Stories from August 4, 2007


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