Surf hand 11-0 Cochran first loss of season, cruise in 8-1 victory.

Published on August 5, 2008 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Atlantic City Surf News Release


Worcester, Mass. - The month of July was not kind to Surf starting pitcher JC Huguet (8-4), as the righty went just 2-3 with a 6.26 ERA. Worcester starting pitcher Tom Cochran (11-1) hasn?t seen any bad months, entering tonight?s matchup against Huguet and the Surf with an 11-0 record and a 1.90 ERA, second in the league. Yet it was Huguet who bested Cochran, as the Surf handed the southpaw his first loss of the season, and cruised to an 8-1 victory, in a Can-Am League game Tuesday night.

After a pitcher's duel through the first two innings, the Surf jumped on the board with two runs in the third. CF Lucas Taylor reached on an error to lead off the inning and moved to second. SS Anthony Granato, entering the ballgame batting .419 over his last ten games, roped a double down the left field line that scored Taylor. Granato would move to third on a 1B Joe Burke single, and scored on a sac fly from the LF Jason Hurst, giving the Surf a 2-0 lead.

The Surf tacked on another run in the fourth, when DH Clyde Williams lead off with a walk, and later scored on a 2B Brad Thoma RBI single. Thoma wasn?t done though, and in the top of the sixth and with two outs, he hit his 5th home run of the season to deep left centerfield.

Worcester scored their lone run of the evening in the bottom of the sixth. RF Scott Grimes doubled to left center, and moved to third on a balk. The next batter, CF BJ Weed, singled to right center, scoring Grimes, and cutting the lead to 4-1.

The Surf put the game out of reach in the final three innings, spreading across four runs via the long ball. Hurst hit his second of the season in the seventh off of Cochran. In the eighth, Williams crushed one to right center, his 9th home run of the season, and tying him with Josh Burrus for the team lead. It was short-lived however, as the right fielder homered down the left field line in the top of the ninth, giving him his 10th on the year.

Huguet was brilliant in his six innings, allowing just the one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Cochran allowed four earned in seven innings, walking three and striking out seven, as the Surf handed him his first loss of the ?08 season. The Surf hit four home runs, their most in one game all year. The one through eight hitters in the lineup all recorded at least one hit in the victory. With the win, Atlantic City moves to 15-7 in the second half, and maintain a slim one game lead on Quebec, who defeated Brockton tonight 7-4.

On Wednesday, these teams matchup again for game three of this four game series. Derek Barrows (1-2) will throw for Atlantic City. In only his first start of the season earlier this week against Brockton, Barrows tossed five innings of shutout ball. Alex Pena (2-3) will start for Worcester.



Canadian American League Stories from August 5, 2008


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