SAL1 Lexington Legends

Naylor Cools Off Legends Bats

Published on May 4, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Lexington Legends News Release


Lakewood (NJ) - Following an excellent night of pitching, the Legends failed to start their third winning streak of the season in a lopsided afternoon outing against Lakewood. After their twelve hit pounding of Lakewood just hours prior, Lexington's bats couldn't spark a rally as they lost 11-2.

Lexington's hits were scattered through the nine innings, tempered by a remarkable outing from Lakewood's Drew Naylor. In eight innings from the mound, Naylor gave up five hits, one earned run, walked one batter and struck out eleven. Pitching to a team down at least five runs during his time on the rubber made things easier, but he also worked the Legends out of potential scoring opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Legends started the game on the wrong foot, allowing five runs on six hits from Lakewood's first seven batters in the first inning. Derrick Mitchell led off doubled off the left field fence to drive in Herman Demmink before Dominic Brown homered to right field for the third run from the third batter in the early going. Michael Taylor hard hit a double and advanced to third on an errant pitch before tagging up to score on the first out of the inning. Matthew Rizzotti and Travis Matter singled and were put in scoring position by Adams' wild pitch. Rizzotti would reach paydirt a fly ball before Joel Naughton ground out to end the inning.

Despite two singles, the Legends failed to answer in the second, while Lakewood would add a pair in the bottom. Herman Demmink was walked to start the second and advanced to third on Mitchell's liner to right field. Brown's ground out to first scored Demmink and put Mitchell in position for Michael Taylor's sacrifice fly for the second run of the inning.

In the bottom of the third, Freddy Galvis was driven in by a standup double to deep right field by ninth hitter Joel Naughton. Derrick Mitchell sent a shot past diving a Craig Corrado at third to bump Naughton to the hot corner with two outs. The Lakewood momentum stopped there after a Demmink fly out.

Lexington was led through the middle innings by Jordan Powell and Fernando Abad, resulting in eight hits and four earned runs between them. The Legends would hit the scoreboard in the fifth, when Steve Brown doubled, advanced on a wild pitch and tagged home on a Matt Cusick groundout. Lexington followed that up against Naylor's unhittables with three straight strikeouts in the sixth.

With two outs and one on in the bottom of the sixth, Travis Matter singled to the outfield but got to second on a Legends fielding error. With two more runs at the cusp, Lexington reliever Abad struck out Galvis to end the scoreless sixth.

After Abad loaded the bases to start the seventh, reliever Mike Koons walked in one run and gave a single to score another. Brandon Barnes made a running catch into the left field wall to end the inning, throwing the ball back into play before collapsing. Barnes apparently knocked himself out before coming in from the outfield as the seventh inning concluded.

Collin DeLome got his first hit of the afternoon to lead off the inning with a triple to right field and was driven in by a Jonathan Fixler sacrifice fly for the last run of the game.

The Legends take on the BlueClaws Monday in the third game of their four-game series in Lakewood, first pitch at 6:35 PM.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 4, 2008


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