Synamic Duo Leads Cats Past Trappers

August 10, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release


First baseman Graham Koonce was 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI and shortstop Bobby Crosby added a two-run homer as the Sacramento River Cats downed the Edmonton Trappers 9-5 Saturday night at Raley Field in Sacramento. Both players have homered in each of the last two games. Koonce is second in the PCL with 25 home runs and leads the circuit with 87 RBI. Crosby has been a thorn in the Trappers side the entire season. He is batting .339 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 15 games against Edmonton this season. The loss is the fourth in a row for Edmonton and their third straight defeat to the River Cats, who own the best record in the PCL at 76-45. Sacramento has won six of the seven games played between the two teams at Raley Field this season. Despite the losing streak the Trappers still lead the North Division by two games over the Portland Beavers. Edmonton and Sacramento conclude this four-game series on Sunday night at Raley Field. The Trappers will begin a four-game series in Tacoma on Monday night.

Edmonton plated a single run in the second inning off Sacramento left-hander John Rheinecker (1-0). Catcher Michael Barrett, who began a Major League injury rehabilitation assignment with the Trappers on Friday night, led off the frame with a double. He advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Cepicky. Sacramento took the lead in the bottom of the third with four runs off Trapper starter Britt Reames (3-13). Catcher Mark Johnson led off with a double down the left field line. He advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a two-out single by Chris Prieto. Crosby then doubled to put runners at second and third for Koonce, who launched his 25th home run of the season down the right field line putting the River Cats on top for good. The Trappers came right back in the top of the fourth inning with two runs of their own. Luis Figueroa led off with a single and moved to third on a base hit by Terrmel Sledge. With one out Valentino Pascucci plated Figueroa with Edmonton's second run. Later in the inning Randy Knorr delivered a two-out, run-scoring single that drove home Sledge narrowing the River Cats lead to one.

Sacramento right fielder Michael Lockwood led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a double to left center. With two down Jose Flores put the River Cats up 5-3 with a single that plated Lockwood. Koonce started the fifth inning with a double, the third consecutive inning that Sacramento leadoff batter doubled off Reames. Mike Edwards moved Koonce to third with a single and Luis Lopez followed with a sacrifice fly. Edwards later scored on a groundout by Johnson. Reames allowed seven runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings. He has lost six consecutive starts and is currently on a seven-game losing streak. Edmonton cut into the lead with two runs in the sixth. Pascucci and Cepicky had back-to-back singles with one out and Knorr followed with a base hit that delivered the Trappers fourth run. Cepicky later scored on a ground out by Scott Hodges. Crosby capped the scoring in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run off reliever Jose Rodriguez. The Sacramento bullpen closed out the game with three shutout innings.

Highlights:

Trappers: Are 27-31 on the road...are 22-13 when the opponent starts a left-hander, but are just 9-10 on the road against lefties...have allowed six home runs in the first three games of this series...lead the North Division by two games over the Portland Beavers and 2 ½ games over the Salt Lake Stingers...are 29-33 vs. the South Division...this is the last series of the season against a South Division foe...Sacramento leads the season series, 10-5...Sacramento leads the all-time series, 25-22.

1B Valentino Pascucci: Put together his second consecutive two-hit game...drove in the Trappers second run of the game...also scored in the sixth inning...leads the club with 77 RBI...began the night with a league-leading .425 on-base percentage...has 87 walks.

Alumni Report:

3B Tony Batista (BAL) @ BOS: Put the Orioles ahead with a two-run home run off Tim Wakefield in the fourth inning, put Boston rallied late to down the O's 6-4...home run was his 20th of the season...has 76 RBI...Red Sox are three games behind the Yankees.



Pacific Coast League Stories from August 10, 2003


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