Sparks fly as Spirit sweep Berkshire

Published on July 3, 2003 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
North Shore Spirit News Release


LYNN -- After a premature July 4th fireworks display, the North Shore Spirit combined a 13-hit attack with near-flawless relief pitching to beat the Berkshire Black Bears, 9-5, at the New Fraser Field before a crowd of 918 Thursday night.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Spirit (22-16), who remained a half-game behind the Brockton Rox, who beat Elmira Thursday, in the Northeast League's North Division.

Spirit starting pitcher Wes Crawford and Manager John Kennedy were ejected in the third inning after Crawford hit Mark Burnett in apparent retaliation for Berkshire pitcher Rick Guttormson hitting two Spirit batters in the first two innings.

Crawford's early departure put the Spirit bullpen behind the eight ball somewhat, but Nate Beucler saved the day with his best outing of the year. Beucler (2-0), who had only pitched 17 2/3 innings all season, picked up the win by pitching five innings of no-hit, no-run baseball, striking out eight and walking one. Joe Ricciardi worked the final two innings and allowed one hit and one unearned run.

On the offensive side, the Spirit broke open a 4-4 tie with two runs in the fourth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh. In the fourth, Yuri Sanchez walked with one out and came around to score on Marcos Agramonte's opposite-field triple to left. Agramonte, who was 4-for-5 with three RBI, scored on a groundout by Jose Castellanos, who replaced John Schmitz in the outfield after Schmitz was forced to leave the game as a result of being hit in the ribs with a Guttormson pitch in the second inning.

Sanchez (2-for-3, RBI) and Agramonte stroked back-to-back doubles for a run in the sixth. In the seventh, Eddie Muth (2-for-5, 2 RBI) led off with a double and eventually scored on Sanchez' two-out RBI single. Agramonte then singled home Jason Startari, who had walked prior to the Sanchez hit.

The Spirit had taken a 4-0 lead in the first inning on the strength of Michael Tejada's two-run double and Muth's two-run home run, his first of the season. Berkshire (18-22) responded with four hits and four runs off Crawford in the second. Chris Briones drove home two runs with an infield single and P.J. Johnston plated a pair with a two-out single to center.

Guttormson (3-5) took the loss for Berkshire, allowing seven hits and seven runs in six innings.

Tejada, who entered the game as the fourth-leading hitter in the Northeast League, improved his batting average to .355, which is higher than anyone in the league was hitting going into Thursday.

The Spirit travel to Quebec for a three-game series with the Capitales starting Friday night. Bryan Morse (1-4, 2.93) will start on the mound for North Shore.

All the Spirit games can be heard on flagship station WESX (1230 AM). The pre-game show airs at 6:30 p.m. Friday night.

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Canadian American League Stories from July 3, 2003


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