PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Win Third In A Row

April 24, 2004 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Sounds belted a pair of homers and won their third straight game on Saturday evening, defeating the PCL Eastern Division-leading Oklahoma RedHawks, 5-3, in front of a season-high 8,606 fans at Greer Stadium to pull within 2 ½ games of first place.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the fourth and fifth frames against Nashville starter Nelson Figueroa. The RedHawks got on the board without getting a ball out of the infield. Jeff Pickler led off the frame with an infield single, moved to second when first baseman Carlos Rivera mishandled David Newhan's grounder, moved to third when third baseman Luis Figueroa bobbled a Gary Matthews, Jr. grounder, and scored unearned on a Pete Zoccolillo groundout.

The visitors doubled the lead in the fifth when Santiago Perez singled, moved to third on a Ramon Nivar single, and scored on Newhan's RBI double down the right-field line.

Sounds shortstop Mike Moriarty tied things up in the bottom of the fifth with a bases-loaded, two-run double to right-center. Nashville took a 3-2 lead two batters later when Tony Alvarez scored on Luis Figueroa's RBI infield single.

Designated hitter Daryle Ward homered for his second consecutive game in the fifth to extend the Nashville lead to 4-2. The solo shot off RedHawks reliever Keith Stamler, Ward's second longball of the season, extended the Sounds' streak of games with a home run to 12.

Oklahoma pulled within a run during a frightening seventh inning for the Sounds. Ken Huckaby hit a grounder just out of the reach of a diving Moriarty. As the ball scooted into the outfield, the Sounds shortstop slid again to scoop it up and was run over by Alvarez, the leftfielder. Huckaby ended up on third with a triple and Moriarty was removed from the game with a head injury. Nivar followed with an RBI single to center off reliever Frank Brooks to reduce the Nashville lead to 4-3.

Ruben Mateo provided the Sounds with an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when he belted an 0-2 offering from RedHawks reliever Brad Clontz high off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left-center. The solo shot was his team-leading sixth roundtripper of the season.

Figueroa (2-2) picked up the victory for the Sounds after allowing two runs (one earned) and fanning six in six innings of work. Vance (1-1) took the loss after giving up three runs in his four frames. Juan Acevedo earned his first save for Nashville by retiring the RedHawks in order in the ninth.

The Sounds and RedHawks continue the series with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon. Left-hander Dave Williams (0-1) takes the hill for Nashville. He'll be opposed by right-hander Jason Andrew, who will join Oklahoma from Single-A Stockton and make his first career appearance above Class A ball.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 24, 2004


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