SL1 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Suns Blast Holliman, Hold on Late for Friday Win

Published on May 25, 2007 under Southern League (SL1)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release


Sevierville, Tenn. - The Jacksonville Suns scored eight runs on eleven hits against Tennessee Smokies starter Mark Holliman, who entered the game with a Southern League-best 1.17 ERA, then held off a late charge to preserve an 8-4 victory.

A Friday night crowd of 5,587 at Smokies Park saw the Suns improve to 27-21 in the win. Jacksonville at least kept pace with the first place Mississippi Braves who entered Friday four games ahead of the Suns in the South Division. The Smokies fell to 24-22 overall.

Jacksonville opened the scoring against Mark Holliman in the second inning with four runs on five hits, including and RBI single from Octavio Martinez that opened the scoring at 1-0. Jimmy Rohan next doubled home a run to make it 2-0. Pitcher Joey Norrito helped his own cause by bouncing a ball over a drawn-in infield to make it a 3-0 Suns lead. Chin-Lung Hu next plated a run on a fielder's choice to finish the second inning scoring at 4-0.

The Suns did more damage on Holliman in the fourth inning, and started with a one-out, solo homerun from Chin-Lung Hu that made it a 5-0 game. The Tennessee starter then loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch and two walks and Marshall McDougall capped it off with a two-run double to open a 7-0 lead. Octavio Martinez later hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 8-0.

The Smokies got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Josh Kroeger hit a two-out, solo homerun to cut the Suns lead to 8-1.

Throughout the first six innings the Tennessee offense, the best batting offense in the League entering Friday, could only muster one run on four hits off of Suns starter Joey Norrito. Norrito made his second start and sixth outing since being placed in Jacksonville from the Dodgers extended spring program on April 27.

Tennessee's Kroeger hit a leadoff homerun off of Norrito in the seventh inning then Casey McGehee doubled followed by a Matt Craig single. Gary Cates then drove home a run with a sacrifice fly to make it an 8-3 Suns lead. Wesley Wright then entered the game to record the final two outs and end the threat.

The Smokies had a chance in the ninth to get back in the game as Matt Craig singled with one out, and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Following a two-out walk and two-out single to load the bases, another Wesley Wright wild pitch scored Craig to cut the Suns lead to 8-4. Wright then walked the next batter Sam Fuld to load the bases again and send the game-tying run to the plate. Suns closer Jon Meloan entered and induced a fly ball to end the threat and the game.

Norrito improved to 1-0 in the win while Holliman fell to 6-2 in the loss. Meloan saved his sixth game in 2007.

The Suns and Smokies meet in game four of the series Saturday at 7:15 p.m. Suns LH Mike Megrew will face Smokies LH Donnie Veal. Fans can follow the action on AM 930 The Fox or online at jaxsuns.com.

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Southern League Stories from May 25, 2007


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