SAL1 Hagerstown Suns

Suns Take Series From West Virginia With 6-3 Education Day Win

Published on May 12, 2009 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release


HAGERSTOWN, MD -- With thousands of youngsters packing the stands for Education Day at Municipal Stadium on Tuesday morning, the Hagerstown Suns offense looked like it was starting to come into its own. Scoring in five of their eight turns at bat, the Suns (14-15) jumped ahead early against the West Virginia Power (9-23) and turned it on again late to seal a 6-3 victory.

Centerfielder Chris Curran and designated hitter Derek Norris were the sparkplugs for Hagerstown, each scoring a pair of runs and combining to go five-for-eight at the plate. Backed by four Suns runs over the first four innings, starting pitcher Terrence Engles (3-1) kept the Power bats largely under wraps over his five innings of work, allowing just two runs on four hits. Hagerstown closer Osvaldo Rodriguez pitched the game's final inning and a third, holding West Virginia hitless and notching his fourth save of 2009.

The Suns put two quick runs on the board in the first inning after second baseman Steve Lombardozzi and Norris drew walks to start things off. Power starter Duke Welker (0-4) uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Lombardozzi to score, and Norris came home on an RBI single by first baseman Tyler Moore that put Hagerstown on top 2-0.

Norris added to that lead in his next at bat, pounding a Welker pitch over the left-field wall in the third inning for his seventh home run of the season, tied for second in the South Atlantic League. The RBI also added to Norris' league-leading total, and was his 25th in 28 games.

While Norris was supercharging the Suns with power, Curran spent Tuesday's game spurring them with his speed, singlehandedly producing runs in almost identical fashion in the fourth and eighth innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Curran singled, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored after stealing third and forcing the catcher into a wild throw into the outfield. Curran struck once again in the eighth, coming home on a repeat of the same mistake by Power catcher Andrew Walker after reaching second with a double into shallow left.

With the win, Hagerstown won the series against West Virginia, 3-2, and pulled to within a game of the .500 mark on the season.

The Suns have an off day Wednesday, followed by an eight-game road trip, and will return home for a Memorial Day weekend series against Hickory, starting on Friday, May 22 at 6:35 p.m. That date is also the deadline for Suns fans to purchase the All-You-Can-Eat Hall of Fame ticket package for the 2009 season. For just $39, fans can receive tickets to the five most-popular Suns games of the season, with an all-you-can-eat meal included in the price of the ticket. The package also includes a limited-edition Suns hat and t-shirt, and can be purchased by calling the Suns ticket office at 301-791-6266.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 12, 2009


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