Pioneers drop 3rd straight as Adirondack pulls to within 1/2 game in wildcard race
Published on August 17, 2002 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Elmira Pioneers News Release
Saturday, august 17, 2002 - East Field, Glens Falls, NY
Jackson Crowther got roughed up for 10 hits in his Elmira Pioneers debut as the Adirondack Lumberjacks extended their win streak to 5 straight in a 5-1 final in front of 1444 fans at East Field in Glens Falls Saturday night.
With the win, Adirondack closes to within a 1/2 game of the Pioneers in the wild-card race with only 15 games remaining in the regular season.
Elmira is 42-33 overall and Adirondack is 42-34 overall. If New Jersey wins both halves in the South Division then the next playoff team would be determined by the team from either division with the next best overall record. Adirondack trails Albany by only 1 1/2 games in the 2nd half North race and if the Lumberjacks win the 2nd half crown then they automaticaly take themselves out of wildcard contention.
The Lumberjacks won their 11th straight home game and have also won 10 of their last 12 gams overall to virtually make up all the lost ground from their sluggish start of the 2nd half.
Adirondack banged out 13 hits in the game after they accumulated 10 hits in the Friday series opener.
Adiriondack has had the most success of all Northern League teams against the Pioneers now carrying a dominating 8-3 record.
Crowther allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in the 12nd inning and got touched for 1 run on 3 hits in the 3rd as the Lumberjacks built an early 3-1 lead.
Elmira has dropped 3 straight and has an 0-2 record on their current 6-game road-trip. It was this same road-swing that dashed all 1st half title chances for the PIoneers when they went 1-5 on their swing through Glens Falls and Quebec.
Rookie hurler LH Danny Miller (7-5) went the distance on an 8-hitter with 1 walk and 8 strikeouts the lead Adirondack.
The lone Pioneer run came in the top of the 3rd inning on back to back doubles by new SS Mike Terhune and CF Brandon Pernell. The double by Pernell off the top of the wall extedned his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest on the team this season.
Osmani Garcia and Cesar King each had a pair of hits for relmira.
Michal Coleman returned the the field in RF. He had served as DH the past 3 games with a minor hamstring injury sustained last Monday. Coleman went 1-for-4 with a double in the 9th that fell just shy of HR distance.
Lorenzo De La Cruz homered in the 2nd game in a row as he teed off on reliever Keith Forbes in the 7th for his 13th of the year. He went 2-4 on the night to bolster his league-leading batting average to .359.
Jude Voltz was 3-for-4 for Adirondack.
Jude Voltz doubled to right-center to start the 2nd inning rally and scored on a single by Juan Silvestre. Todd Brock and Matt Tindell follwed with singles of their own to plate Silvestre giving the Lumberjacks a 2-0 advantage.
Following the singles by Terhune and Pernel in the top of the 3rd that made it 2-1 the Lumberjacks would score on 3 hits in the bottom of the 3rd to build the lead to 3-1.
Lorenzo De La Cruz doubled into the LF corner and scored on back-to-back singles by Jude Voltz and Steve King.
Still trailing 3-1 in the top of the 5th the Pioneers had a chance to get back into the game when they loaded the bases on Miller with 1 out. Garcia and King singled and Terhune walked but Pernell and Bush both popped out to end the threat.
Garrett Larkin singled in the bottom of the 5th with 1 out and eventuallty scored on a teve King single to push the difference to 4-1.
De La Cruz homered off Keith Forbes in the 7th to close the scoring.
New Pioneer rookie hurler Brad Cook out of Johnson City, NY spun a shutout 8th with 1 walk and 0 K's in his professional baseball debut.
Following an Osmani Garcia single with 1-out in the 9th inning the game ended embarrassingly on a strike-out an throw-out double-play as Osmani garcia was thrown out trying to steal as King let a called strike 3 pass by on the outside corner.
Elmira has lost 9 straight Sunday games and will try to snap that streak and avoid the sweep Sunday evening at 5:00 at Eas Field. LH Jeff Andra (9-5, 2.84) starts for the Pioneers against Adirondack's RH Joe Magri (2-0, 3.16).
Greg Keagle will start the opener of the series at Quebec Monday night at 7.
The Pioneers next home game is Thursday evening in the first of a 4-game series with league leading New Jersey.
Canadian American League Stories from August 17, 2002
- Jackals Lose Second Straight, 15-2 - New Jersey Jackals
- Pioneers drop 3rd straight as Adirondack pulls to within 1/2 game in wildcard race - Elmira Pioneers
- Pioneers Add 2 Players - Elmira Pioneers
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