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PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Nix, Moeller Lead Sounds Past Grizzlies, 5-4

August 4, 2006 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


FRESNO, Calif. - The Nashville Sounds emerged on top in a back-and-forth battle with Fresno on Friday evening at Grizzlies Stadium, scoring a 5-4 victory in the third game of a four-game series.

With the win, Nashville (61-53) notched its third victory in the last four games and increased its lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division to 3 ½ games over Iowa.

Six Sounds finished with two or more hits on the evening as Nashville tallied 14 knocks, the club's most since May 13 at Las Vegas (also 14 hits).

Center fielder Laynce Nix finished 3-for-5 with a homer in the contest to extend his season-best hitting streak to 15 games for the Sounds. In six games with Nashville, Nix is batting an incredible .565 (13-for-23) with six extra-base hits.

Sounds catcher Chad Moeller went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs driven in, including the eventual game-winner in the eighth, to up his season-best hit streak to four games.

Zach Sorensen opened the game with a single to right off Grizzlies starter Patrick Misch, extending his season-best hitting streak to five games. Chris Barnwell followed with a line-drive knock off the glove of Grizzlies second baseman Kevin Frandsen before Nix ripped a single to right to load the bags and extend Nashville's longest hit streak of the year to 15 games.

Brent Abernathy gave the visitors a 1-0 lead by plating Sorensen with a sacrifice fly to left, marking his first RBI in 14 games. Misch avoided further damage in the frame by striking out Andrew Beattie and Vinny Rottino in order for the final two outs of the inning.

Fresno took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second. Mike Cervanek led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a Juan Melo single, and tied the game when he scored on a wild pitch thrown by Sounds starter Jared Fernandez. Former Sound Tomas de la Rosa gave the Grizzlies the lead when he singled up the middle to bring in Melo.

Abernathy knotted the contest at 2-2 in the third when he drove in his second run of the game, bringing home Sorensen with a two-out RBI double into the left field corner.

Nashville reclaimed a 3-2 advantage against Misch in the fourth. Rottino (3-for-4) upped his hitting streak to five games when he led off the frame with a double to left-center. Moeller gave the Sounds their second lead of the night when he plated Rottino with a one-out single to left. The knock extended the backstop's season-best hit streak to four games.

Fernandez worked five innings and held Fresno to two runs on six hits but did not factor in the decision as the Nashville bullpen failed to protect the lead.

Fresno center fielder Clay Timpner picked a good time to launch his first home run of the season, taking Sounds reliever Chris Demaria deep in the bottom of the sixth inning for a two-run shot that staked the Grizzlies to a 4-3 lead. The tater scored de la Rosa, who had singled earlier in the frame.

Nix continued his solid night in the seventh when he slugged his 13th home run of the season and third in six games with Nashville to square the tilt at 4-4. His two-out solo blast to right-center greeted Grizzlies reliever Michael Tejera, who blew his first save opportunity.

Moeller put the Sounds ahead for good in the top of the eighth with a two-out RBI single to left off Carlos Hines that plated Rottino with for a 5-4 Nashville advantage.

Demaria (4-0) picked up the victory in relief for Nashville despite giving up two runs on two hits in his two innings.

Alec Zumwalt worked the final two innings in hitless fashion to earn his team-leading 12th save of the year.

Hines (1-4) took his second loss of the series after surrendering the go-ahead run in his lone frame of action.

The teams wrap up the series with a 9:05 p.m. CT finale on Saturday evening. Left-hander Zach Jackson (2-4, 4.06) will take the mound for the Sounds looking for his first Triple-A victory since May 24th. Fresno right-hander Brian Cooper (4-8, 5.15) will provide the opposition.

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