Sidewinders Hand Sounds 9-2 Defeat
May 11, 2006 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
TUCSON, Ariz. - The Nashville Sounds came up on the short end of a 9-2 loss to the Tucson Sidewinders on Thursday evening at Tucson Electric Park.
The loss was the fifth in the last seven games for Nashville (21-13) but the Sounds maintain their 5 ½ game lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division.
The seven-run defeat was the largest losing deficit face by the club this season.
The Sounds jumped on the board first in the top of the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead when Brad Nelson doubled and later scored on a two-out Enrique Cruz RBI single off Sidewinders starter Dustin Nippert.
Tucson answered quickly, plating three runs off Sounds starter Mike Meyers in the bottom of the frame to grab a 3-1 advantage. Nippert tied the contest when he drove in Chris Carter with an RBI single to center, then Alberto Callaspo delivered a go-ahead two-run double later in the frame to stake the home club to a two-run cushion.
Nashville pulled within a run in the sixth when Brent Abernathy, who paced the Sounds with a 3-for-4 evening that upped his hitting streak to a season-best four games, scored on a double play groundout to make it a 3-2 contest.
Once again, the home club had an immediate answer. Former Sound Matt Erickson, pinch-hitting for Nippert, delivered a one-out RBI single off Nashville reliever Brett Evert in the bottom of the inning to bring home Juan Brito who had doubled off Meyers earlier in the frame.
The Sidewinders broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh with five runs against Evert to increase the lead to 9-2, matching the biggest single-inning output by a Sounds opponent all season. Tucson right fielder Robby Hammock and Brito each had two-run knocks in the frame.
Nippert (5-0) picked up his fifth win of the year for the Sidewinders after holding the Sounds to two runs on seven hits while striking out five batters over six innings. Meyers (1-2) took a loss in his first start of the season. He allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits and struck out five batters over 5 1/3 innings.
Reliever Alec Zumwalt, who joined the Sounds from Double-A Huntsville prior to the game, made his debut with two scoreless innings of work.
The teams wrap up their four-game series with an 8:30 p.m. CT finale on Friday evening. Sounds left-hander Justin Thompson (2-1, 6.45) mans the bump to face Tucson southpaw Neal Musser (0-3, 6.67).
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