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Redfish Lead Shortlived As Foxhounds Take First Game

May 31, 2007 - South Coast League (SCL)
Charlotte County Redfish News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL- The Redfish, fresh off their rout of the Bradenton Juice, headed into Hernandez Stadium in Aiken, SC to take on the streaking Foxhounds. The Redfish looked to make it back-to-back wins but the Foxhounds, who lead the league in homeruns, thought otherwise as they handed the Redfish an 8-5 loss.

The Redfish were hoping to get a repeat performance from their starting pitching as Earl Smith took the mound for his third start of the season. Smith was looking to rebound from his past outings where he couldn't seem to find his control. After he walked the leadoff man for the Foxhounds, Smith got Joe Cattone, Aiken's third baseman, to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Smith looked as though he would get out of the first inning but the Foxhounds next three hitters would reach base on a single and two walks. Ben Bando, the Foxhounds left fielder, stepped to the plate with bases loaded and roped a single to center driving in the first run of the night. Smith settled down and struck out Jeff Timons, Aiken's catcher, as the Foxhounds left the bases loaded.

Aiken would add three more runs, which included a Kelly Hunt solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third. Smith's night came to a close with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and the bases loaded. Smith finished the night having pitched three and two-third innings with four runs, all earned, five hits, six walks and two strikeouts. Lazaro Piniero, making his first appearance for the Redfish since being activated from the DL, walked Hunt but then got pinch-hitter Brian Conradi to fly out to centerfield.

The Redfish made it a ballgame when Jeremy McCann stroked an RBI single through the left side of the infield off Foxhound starter Devin Rogers to bring home Ramon Downing from second base in the fourth inning. The Redfish didn't stop there as the bats continued to stay hot in the fifth hitting. William Plaza skied a ball to right centerfield that caused the centerfielder Evandy DeLeon and right fielder Conradi to collide and Plaza strolled in to third with a lead off triple. Piniero drew a one-out walk and Jose Gutierrez ripped an RBI single to center. With Piniero now on third, Downing stepped to the plate and drove in two more Redfish with a 2 RBI double. Rogers was pulled after he walked PJ Lehmann on four pitches. The new pitcher, Cody Reed, came in and allowed McCann to stroke his second consecutive RBI single as the Redfish took the lead, 5-4. Reed (2-0) would settle down as the Foxhounds bullpen wouldn't allow another Redfish runner to cross the plate.

The Foxhounds, though, weren't out of it as with two runners on in the bottom of the fifth, DeLeon crushed a Piniero pitch with two runners on and the Foxhounds wouldn't look back from there. Piniero (0-1) pitched one full inning with three hits, two walks and strike out. The Redfish bullpen kept the Redfish in the game as the next three relievers, Justin Wichert, Yanier Manso, and Aristedes Almenar all struck out the first batters they faced. Wichert allowed one run on two hits, walked two and struck out three. Manso struck out two as he put down the Foxhounds in order in the seventh and Almenar struck out the side in the eighth.

The Redfish look to rebound in game two of the three game series tonight, June 1st against the Aiken Foxhounds. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM. All Redfish games can be heard on 1070 AM WKII and online at www.redfishbaseball.com. For more information, check out www.redfishbaseball.com. Charlotte County Redfish Baseball - Reel in the Fun!



South Coast League Stories from May 31, 2007


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