Kirsten Goes Eight, Caps Bats Come Alive in 9-5 Win

Published on June 9, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La.---Newly-acquired starter Joel Kirsten (3-1) threw an eight-inning victory in his first appearance for the Captains June 8 at Fair Grounds Field as Shreveport-Bossier defeated St. Paul in the final game of their homestand, 9-5. The Captains had 13 hits in a night highlighted by Bryan Frichter's three RBIs, Mike Provencher's three runs, and Joe Urtuzuastegui's three hits.

Bryan Sabatella and Palmer Karr Jr. both hit solo home runs off St. Paul starter Donald Brandt (3-1) in the first and second innings, respectively. Karr's second home run of the year gave the Captains a 2-1 lead. They would extend the lead in that frame when Urtuzuastegui scored Provencher with an RBI single and Frichter scored Brian Peterson on a sacrifice bunt to make it 4-1.

Adam Frost led off the St. Paul third with a triple. He would score two batters later on a Kevin Thompson ground out to short. The Captains made it 5-2 in the last of the third on an Andres Rodriguez RBI triple to right, which scored Sabatella.

St. Paul would cut into the lead again in the fourth when Ronnie Bourquin and Jeff Howell hit back-to-back two-out doubles. Yet Shreveport-Bossier would come right back to neutralize that run in the last of the fourth on a Bryan Frichter RBI single. In the fifth, a Peterson RBI single behind second base would score Provencher to make it 7-3. Peterson would score later in the inning on a passed ball by Saints reliever Kyle Carr.

From the fifth until the eighth inning Kirsten went into shut down mode, allowing just one baserunner and at one point retiring 11 out of 12 batters he faced. The Captains would add insurance in the seventh with another RBI single by Fricther. The Saints scored once in the eighth off Kirsten on a Brandon Tripp double.

Dan Griffin came in to finish the game in the ninth. The first batter he faced, Bourquin, launched a home run to right to cap off a 3-for-4 night. Bourquin was just a single shy of the cycle, having tripled in the second and doubled in the fourth off Kirsten. With one out, Griffin would then walk Jonathan Van Every and Adam Frost, but he got second baseman Justin Snyder to line out to second baseman Frichter. Fricther leapt into the air to snair the line drive, then doubled Frost off first to end the game.

The Captains notched nine runs and 13 hits despite striking out ten times. Every Captain reached base safely except for Uriak Marquez, who grounded at to second four times and also popped out to second. Provencher was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. Urtuzuastegui went 3-for-3 with a walk. Fricther went 2-for-4 with three batted in and catcher Peterson was 2-for-5 with two runs.

In the losing effort, St. Paul left fielder Kevin Thompson was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs.

The Captains finish their second homestand of the year with a 5-4 record. They stand at 14-12 overall, three games behind Grand Prairie in the American Association South Division. Shreveport-Bossier is off tomorrow night before traveling to Lincoln to take on the Saltdogs at 7:05 p.m. on June 10. Shreveport-Bossier will send Ryan DiPietro to the mound in search of his sixth win. Lincoln will counter with John James.

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American Association Stories from June 9, 2011


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