NYPL Lowell Spinners

Spinners Can't Hold On, Go Down Swinging

Published on September 1, 2014 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Lowell Spinners News Release


NORWICH, CONN. - The Connecticut Tigers would not be deterred Monday evening as they fought back from multiple deficits, as the Lowell Spinners bullpen could not protect an early lead and a ninth inning rally fell just short, with the Spinners watching as the Tigers celebrated their first ever post-season appearance and ended their own season with a 9-8 loss at Dodd Stadium.

The loss left the Spinners a game below .500 at 37-38 to finish the season.

Lowell actually had a chance to break through in the second inning, loading the bases with two outs, but David Sopilka went down swinging to end the threat.

After Kevin McAvoy extended his scoreless innings streak to 18 with three scoreless frames, the Spinners bats broke through in the fourth when Jordan Betts led off the inning with his 10th home run of the season. With two down and two on, Sopilka redeemed himself with an RBI single and Bryan Hudson followed with an RBI single of his own to give the Spinners a 3-0 lead.

Connecticut (42-34) chipped into the lead in the fifth with their own two out rally. An infield single by Drek Hill got things started. After Hill stole second, Karsten Whitson walked Will Maddox and Brett Pirtle followed with a two-run double to cut the Lowell lead to one.

The Spinners would answer with a run of their own in the sixth when Joseph Monge led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Mike Meyers to push the lead back to 4-2.

The Tigers would respond again, scoring one of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a Jacob Kapstein sacrifice fly. Lowell would once again respond with a run of their own in the seventh, as Deiner Lopez created a run with a single, stolen base, taking third on a throwing error by Franklin Navarro, and scoring on a wild pitch to re-establish the two run Lowell lead.

Not to be deterred, the Tigers again responded, pulling even in the fifth. With one out, Maddox reached on an error by Cisco Tellez and a Pirtle single gave Connecticut runners on the corners. A wild pitch by Kuehl McEachern plated Maddox and a two-out single by Joey Pankake knotted the score at five.

After the Tigers finally held the Spinners off the board in the eighth, Carlos Pinales returned to the mound for the first time since allowing a walk-off grand slam to Navarro in Connecticut last Wednesday night. Navarro and the Tigers would continue to haunt the Spinners' All-Star closer as Navarro led off the eighth with a solo home run to give the Tigers a 6-5 lead. A bout of wildness loaded the bases and Pirtle cleared them with a double down the right field line to give the Tigers some much needed insurance at 9-5.

With nothing but pride on the line, the Spinners went all-out in the ninth. A one-out single by Sopilka got things started. After a Hudson walk, Lopez doubled to right, scoring Sopilka and moving Hudson to third. A Mauricio Dubon sacrifice fly plated Hudson and an error by Pirtle allowed Lopez to score to bring the Spinners within a run. With pinch-runner Raymel Flores on for Betts, Nick Moore walked and the two executed a double steal, but Monge popped out to Pirtle to end the game and the Spinners season as the Tigers rushed onto the field.

Offensively, the Spinners had another multi-hit night, setting new franchise records for team batting average (.267) and hits (682), joining the previously established record for team triples (32). Three Spinners concluded the season on a high note, as Lopez, Betts and Sopilka each had two hit nights. Betts became the first Spinners player with double digit home runs since Luis Sumoza hit 11 in 2008, while his 40 RBIs are the most since Jorge Jimenez had 44 in 2007.

On the mound McAvoy allowed just three hits, striking out one, finishing the season with 18 straight scoreless innings. Whitson allowed two runs on two hits and walk, striking out two in 1.2 innings. McEachern allowed three runs, though just one was earned, on four hits and a walk, striking out three in 2.1 innings before Pinales (1-3, 5.58) finished his season on a down note. Overall, the Spinners finished the season with a 4.20 team ERA, largely on the back of a 17-10, 2.75 August.

The Spinners now return to Lowell where they will await their shuttles to the airport for the start of the offseason. LeLacheur Park now turns to the offseason, hosting the first ever "Paint 'n' Sip" Night at the ballpark September 13 and the team's annual Oktoberfest/Family Fun Day September 27 before turning their attention to the team's Hot Stove Dinner January 17, 2015 at the UML Inn & Conference Center. Opening Day 2015 is to be determined.

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