Kennelly goes deep to help BlueClaws to 6-4 win
Published on July 8, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - After nearly pulling off a seven-run comeback on Monday night, the BlueClaws were able to complete the job on Tuesday night. Lakewood fell behind 4-1 after the fifth inning, before storing the final five runs of the game to take a 6-4 win over Augusta at FirstEnergy Park.
Lakewood trailed 7-0 on Monday before rallying to close the gap to 7-6 in the ninth inning. But on Tuesday, the BlueClaws took the lead and more thanks to a tiebreaking Tim Kennelly home run. Kennelly took David Mixon deep with Joel Naughton at third and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. It was the first home run of the season for the BlueClaws designated hitter.
Lakewood had tied the game up two batters earlier with Naughton at the plate. With Freddy Galvis at second base, the 'Claws catcher hit a relatively routine flyball to leftfield. But the ball slipped out of Tayler Creswell's glove allowing Galvis to score to tie the game. All three runs that were charged to Mixon (0-1) were unearned.
The late rally came after another rocky start from BlueClaws southpaw Jacob Diekman. The 21-year old lasted just four innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits in that span. He also walked two batters and hit another.
But Diekman was let off the hook when the BlueClaws climbed back from the three-run deficit. The lone BlueClaws run with Diekman on the mound came in the first on a Dominic Brown home run. The long ball was the seventh of the year for the BlueClaws centerfielder, who also kept his hitting streak alive at 12 games.
Zack Sterner (6-1) did his job in relief of Diekman, keeping the BlueClaws within striking distance. The right-hander pitched three hitless innings, walking just one hitter. He also struck out three. His six wins are the most of any BlueClaws pitcher.
Sergio Escalona pitched a perfect eighth inning and Jared Simon closed out the win with a hitless ninth inning for his 16th save of the season.
Lakewood began the comeback against Augusta starter Oliver Odle in the sixth. Brown and Mike Durant each drove in a run against Odle to cut the lead to just one. Odle had been terrific over the first five innings, but finished with three earned runs against him in six innings. He gave up seven hits and struck out four while walking just one.
Lakewood (11-8, 49-40) matched their season-best mark at nine games above .500. Augusta (14-5, 55- 33) had a chance to catch Asheville for the best record in the South Atlantic League, but instead temporarily lost ground in the second half race with second-place Columbus.
It will be a quick turnaround for the teams, who will meet on Wednesday at 11:05 a.m. at FirstEnergy Park. Walter Tejeda (4-4) will be going up against Daryl Maday for the GreenJackets (7-4). Maday leads the South Atlantic League with a 1.47 ERA.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 8, 2008
- Suns and Tourists split double header - Hagerstown Suns
- Ryne Lawson Mows Down Shorebirds in 4-1 Victory - Greenville Drive
- Rome Takes Second in a Row - Rome Emperors
- Shorebirds fall to Drive - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Petersen's 18th Not Enough to Get Greensboro Past Rome - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Catfish win another close one - Columbus Catfish
- Legends Loom Large Over RiverDogs, 3-1 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Kennelly goes deep to help BlueClaws to 6-4 win - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Gnats experience Power outage in loss - Savannah Sand Gnats
- âJackets Stumble in Lakewood - Augusta GreenJackets
- Clutch offense propels Power to victory - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Intimidators Fall To Catfish 5-4 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Crawdads and Captains rained out - Hickory Crawdads
- Stanton Stamped as Marlins' June Player of the Month - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Tampa Bay Recognizes Darcy as Minor League Pitcher of the Month - Columbus Catfish
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