SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

RiverDogs Can't Finish Off Columbus, Split Saturday Twinbill

Published on August 23, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - The Charleston RiverDogs couldn't hold a 6-0 lead in the second game of a doubleheader and settled for a split in South Atlantic League action Saturday night in front of 4,937 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

Charleston won Friday's suspended game, 14-2, and fell in the second game, 8-6.

In the nightcap, the RiverDogs scored four times in the first inning on a RBI single by Austin Romine, a two-run double by Brandon Laird and a sac fly by Carmen Angelini. The lead was extended to 6-0 in the second on back-to-back solo home runs by Dave Williams and Austin Krum.

But Columbus began to right the ship by cutting the deficit to 6-2 in the third, when Chase Fontaine tripled home a run and scored on Maiko Loyola's RBI single. The Catfish again sliced the lead to 6-3 the following inning on Quinn Stewart's RBI single that plated Stephen Vogt who doubled.

The visitors added their fourth and fifth runs in the fifth inning on a double by Fontaine, an RBI single by Loyola and a run-scoring double by Greg Sexton.

In the sixth inning when RiverDogs starter Dellin Betances was lifted in favor of Chase Vacek, Quinn Stewart greeted the reliever's first pitch with a solo shot to center, and Loyola added a sacrifice fly to center to post Columbus' sixth and seventh runs, giving the Fish a lead that they would not relinquish. Their final score came on another Stewart RBI, his third of the game, this one on a sacrifice fly to center.

Ironically, Columbus starter Jeremy Hall, although giving up all six of Charleston's runs on eight hits, earned the victory that improved his overall mark to 9-3. Closer Austin Hinkle collected his 13th save as he pitched an uneventful seventh inning while striking out one of the four batters he faced.

Joining Stewart with three RBI was Loyola. Multiple hits were recorded by Loyola, Vogt, Stewart and Fontaine as the Catfish had a dozen hits on the night.

Charleston had nine knocks with Krum, Laird and Justin Snyder each accounting for two.

Vacek suffered the loss and dropped his record to 5-6 on the campaign. In the process, he pitched 2.0 frames and allowed three runs on three hits and walked a pair. Betances went 5.0 full innings and allowed five runs on nine hits while striking out five.

In the first game, which was the completion of Friday night's suspended game, the RiverDogs sent 14 batters to the plate in their nine-run fifth inning and took advantage of four Catfish errors to secure the lopsided victory, 14-2.

Krum drove home three runs on a pair of hits, and Jesus Montero collected three hits to lead the 12-hit attack for Charleston. Romine and Angelini also drove home two runs in the game that began Friday and was suspended with Charleston leading 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning.

Craig Heyer began the suspended game Saturday with a sterling 3.0 inning performance where he allowed only two hits and fanned three as he improved to 7-0 on the year. Starter Ryan Zink went 3.0 innings Friday night and fanned five Catfish while allowing one run on a hit.

Both of Columbus' runs came on solo homers by Fronk, which came in the first and seventh innings and were his 14th and 15th long balls of the campaign.

Charleston pushed two runs across in the third inning before the rain came Friday night to take a 2-1 lead. Romine drove in one run with a groundout and Laird drove in the second with a single.

But it was the fifth inning in which the RiverDogs plated nine runs on four hits. Romine doubled home a run, Angelini drove in a run with a bases loaded walk and Williams was credited with a RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bags full.

Matt Morris drew another bases loaded walk, and Krum drove home a pair of runs with a RBI single. Two more runs scored when Stewart dropped Bradley Suttle's fly ball to right and Montero finished the scoring with a RBI single.

Charleston added three more runs in the sixth to pad their lead to 14-2.

Josh Johnson (4-8) suffered the loss for Columbus as he allowed two runs on three hits while pitching 2.2 innings. All told, three Catfish hurlers walked six RiverDogs and fanned nine while the Charleston pitchers fanned nine and walked none.

There will be another doubleheader on Sunday featuring two seven-inning contests, with the first game starting at 2:05 p.m. Charleston will send righty Jairo Heredia (5-6, 3.12 ERA) to the hill in the first game and righty Adam Olbrychowski (6-8, 5.40 ERA) in the second, while Columbus will go with lefty Brian Flores (8-6, 4.10 ERA) in the first game. The Catfish have yet to announce who will go in the nightcap.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 23, 2008


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