SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

RiverDogs Broil Catfish, 5-4; Lead Series 3-0

Published on May 19, 2005 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, SC -- First baseman Ben Jones slugged a long home run and singled home another run, and Saydel Beltran earned a save in his first appearance as the Charleston RiverDogs broiled the Columbus Catfish, 5-4, in South Atlantic League action Thursday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

With the victory, Charleston extends its lead to two games in the Southern Division as Rome defeated second-place Augusta, 4-2. The win, which improves the RiverDogs' seasonal mark to 26-15, also places the Charleston team 11 games over .500, a season high. Columbus falls to 1-28. The RiverDogs are now 6-0 at Riley Park against the Catfish, with five of those six wins coming by one run.

With Columbus leading 1-0 after one inning, Jones led off the second with a solo home run to center field and evened the score. He singled home shortstop Marcos Vechionacci in the 6th inning to give Charleston a lead they would not relinquish. Catcher Irwil Rojas drove home another run in the same inning to propel the RiverDogs to a 3-1 lead.

The RiverDogs have now won three games against Columbus in this four-game set, and have been victorious in five of their last six outings overall.

Phil Coke, who relieved starter Eric Hacker in the sixth, earned his second win of the season against one loss as he pitched two innings and allowed one hit, one walk and one strikeout. Beltran, who joined the RiverDogs earlier in the day from extended spring training, pitched 1.2 innings and struck out two for his first save.

Columbus starter Blake Johnson suffered the loss, evening his record to 2-2 on the season.

The RiverDogs added two more runs in the seventh inning highlighted by Vechoinacci's run-scoring double.

Columbus pushed three runs across the plate in the eighth on three unearned runs, highlighted by third baseman David Nicholson's run-scoring single. The Catfish had the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, but Beltran handcuffed DH Blake DeWitt, who popped up to shortstop.

The fourth game of the series and last of this eight-game home stand is slated for Friday at 8:05 p.m., immediately after The Citadel plays host to Georgia Southern. Philip Hughes (3-1) gets the call for Charleston while Columbus counters with Chris Malone (3-1).

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 19, 2005


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