T-Bones take opener 5-0
July 29, 2005 - Northern League (NL)
Joliet JackHammers News Release
Kansas City, KS- With a few holes in their starting rotation, the Joliet JackHammers (2-11 25-36) have been forced to get spot starts from relievers this season. Thursday night's starter, right hander Ben Moore (3-5) pitched a very good game considering his role with the team is as a reliever. Moore went six innings, allowing just two runs on the night. Ben's problem was that the JackHammer offense was unable to get anything going against Kansas City (6-8 33-27) starter David Viane (5-4) who threw his first complete game shutout of the year, blanking Joliet 5-0.
The opening game of the four game set was actually much closer than the final score would tell you. The âHammers faced a 2-0 defecit entering the bottom of the 8th inning. Jeff Isom summoned his closer from the bullpen, since Amad Stephens had not had much work lately. Entering Thursday's action, Amad had thrown nearly twenty-eight innings on they year, allowing just two home runs. By the time the dust had settled in the T-Bone 8th, three solo home runs had been blasted with David Segui homering on the first pitch of the inning. Brandon Jones and Matt Ceriani then went back to back to push the lead to five.
Viane was dominant all night, never allowing Joliet a base runner past second base. How tough was he? Of the twenty-seven outs he recorded, twenty came on infield ground balls. He did it with a consistent fastball that had a lot of late movement, frustrating the Joliet bats. Viane held Joliet hitless in five of his nine innings pitched.
The JackHammers only real rally came in the 8th inning as the team had runners on first and second, with only one out and trailing 2-0. Sam Flamont blasted the first pitch he saw, but right at the Kansas City second baseman Mike Brown who started up the rally killing 4-6-3 double play.
Kansas City was the team that struck first, getting a run in the bottom of the third inning on a ground rule double from Eric Vega that scored Matt Ceriani from second base. Ceriani had earlier drawn a walk. The double put runners at second and third with just one out, but Moore was able to get a fly out and a ground out from the three and four hole hitters to keep the damage to a minimum.
The T-Bones upped the lead to 2-0 with a fourth inning run courtesy of a double from Michael Brown that put runners at second and third, with nobody out. It turned out to be a wild pitch that brought home the run, with Moore again able to wiggle off the hook from any further damage.
The series is now tied 3-3 this year between the two squads, with Joliet holding the all time advantage 18-12. The loss for the JackHammers is their seventh straight, their longest losing streak of the season. Joliet was shut out for the sixth time this season, the third time in the last twelve games.
Eight of the nine T-Bones collected hits, with Brandon Jones being the only man with a 2-3 night for Kansas City. Joliet's Jermaine Allensworth returned to the lineup after missing three straight games nursing a sore leg and delivered a pair of singles to have a 2-3 night as well.
Game two of the series will be on Friday with the JackHammers throwing right-hander Nathan Kent (2-5 4.36 ERA) against the T-Bones right-hander Jonathan Krysa (4-8 4.17 ERA). The JackHammers are in the midst of their longest road trip of the year, an eleven game streak that saw the team visit Sioux Falls, with a stop in Kansas City before finishing the trip at Schaumburg.
Northern League Stories from July 29, 2005
- Saltdogs beat Canaries - Lincoln Saltdogs
- Krysa Shines, Sosebee Slams in 7-1 Win - Kansas City Monarchs
- Bailie to 8-0 in road win - Schaumburg Flyers
- 8th inning homer strikes again, T-Bones take the 7-1 Win - Joliet JackHammers
- RailCats Lose to Schaumburg 7-2 - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Viane Masterful in 5-0 Blanking of Joliet - Kansas City Monarchs
- T-Bones take opener 5-0 - Joliet JackHammers
- Bye-Bye Balbuena; Righthander Signs with Rockies - Kansas City Monarchs
- RailCats Fall Late at St. Paul - Gary SouthShore Railcats
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