PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Snap Skid With 6-2 Win Over 'Hawks

Published on June 19, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds snapped a three-game skid by pounding out 13 hits in a 6-3 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium.

The victory was the first for the Sounds in 11 contests against the RedHawks in 2008.

Richie Gardner (6-2) worked a season-high seven innings for Nashville to notch his sixth win in his last 10 outings. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.80 on the year after allowing one run on four hits and striking out a season-best seven batters in the outing.

Brad Nelson homered and drove in a team-high three runs as part of a 3-for-3 evening. Mel Stocker continued his recent hot hitting with a 3-for-5 effort, his third multiple-hit game in his last five, and Adam Heether recorded a season-best three hits for Nashville.

Oklahoma took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Sounds starter Derrick Turnbow. After the right-hander fanned Jason Ellison to open the contest, the ‘Hawks loaded the bags on a pair of walk sandwiched around a Nelson Cruz single. John Mayberry lifted a sacrifice fly to left to plate Ryan Roberts with the game's first run. During the next at-bat, Turnbow uncorked his second wild pitch of the frame, which allowed Cruz to scamper home from third.

The Sounds got a run back in unearned fashion in the home half of the frame to halve the lead. Stocker led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error by catcher Kevin Richardson. After a Tony Gwynn sacrifice bunt, Nelson lifted a sacrifice fly to right, the slugger's team-leading 41st RBI of the year.

Nashville took a 3-2 in the third against RedHawks starter Kameron Loe. Adam Heether led off with a single to left, moved to second on a Stocker single, and later came home on a Callix Crabbe RBI groundout. Nelson drove in his second run of the night and put the Sounds in front when he followed with an opposite-field, two-out single to left to score Stocker.

The RedHawks tied it in the fifth when Cruz drew a one-out walk, stole second, and scored on John Mayberry's two-out RBI double to left off Gardner.

Nelson continued his solid evening in the bottom of the fifth when he belted a two-out solo homer to center off RedHawks reliever Brian Gordon to push the Sounds back in front. The slugger's tenth roundtripper of the year made it a 4-3 game.

Laynce Nix got into the longball act an inning later. He led off the sixth frame with his tenth blast of the year, a solo shot off Gordon.

The Sounds added another two-out run in the seventh to stretch the lead to 6-3. Gwynn walked to open the frame before being thrown out at the plate while attempting to score from first on a Nelson single to center. Rottino followed with an RBI double to the right-center gap.

Sounds closer Luis Pena followed Gardner's stellar effort with a scoreless ninth to notch his 11th save of the year.

Gordon (0-1) took his first loss of the year for Oklahoma after allowing two runs on three hits over his two relief innings.

The teams wrap up the series with a 7 p.m. finale on Friday evening at Greer. Left-hander Sam Narron (3-2, 4.62) will make the start for the Sounds to face Oklahoma right-hander Luis Mendoza (2-2, 5.04).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 19, 2008


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