SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Tabata ignites Charleston to explosive 2-1 win

Published on July 3, 2006 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - Jose Tabata drilled a two-out double to drive home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Charleston RiverDogs edged the Rome Braves, 2-1, in South Atlantic League action Monday night in front of a standing room only crowd at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The attendance of 8,257 was a Riley Park record.

With the victory, the RiverDogs salvage a split in the four-game series and balance their second half record to 6-6 (44-38 overall) while the Braves slip to 5-7 in the second half (47-35 overall). Charleston and Rome have now split 16 meetings this season.

With the game knotted at 1 apiece, Kevin Nelson led off the ninth inning with a single to left against reliever Marcus Covington (0-1) and Estee Harris pinch ran for him.

With one out Austin Jackson drew a walk, but Eduardo Nunez struck out for the second out of the inning bringing Tabata to the plate.

The 17-year-old drilled the first pitch he saw from Covington off the left-center field warning track for the game-winning hit, scoring Harris and setting off a RiverDogs celebration at home plate.

Rome took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning on catcher Maximiliano Ramirez's eighth home run of the season. The Braves would not score the rest of the way thanks to brilliant work on the mound by starter Erick Abreu and reliever Bryan Rueger (2-0).

Charleston knotted the score on a solo blast by Ben Jones, his team-leading 11th homer of the season that came on the designated hitter's 25th birthday. With his 25th long ball combined between two seasons as a RiverDog, Jones is now tied for second all-time on the career home run list for a Charleston professional baseball player.

Abreu pitched 7.2 innings for the team's longest stint of the season and earned a no-decision. While facing 26 batters, he scattered three hits and struck out six.

Rueger collected his second win of the season as he pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed two hits.

Tabata led the RiverDogs offense with three hits including a pair of doubles, and is now batting .325 this season. Jones had a pair of hits and reached base three times.

Covington, who relieved Rome starter Adam Stanley in the seventh inning, suffered the loss after pitching 2.2 innings and surrendering four hits including the game-winner. Stanley pitched well, going six complete frames and allowed one run on six hits.

The RiverDogs begin a four-game road trip to Columbus Tuesday at 7 p.m. with lefty Zack Kroenke (5-3, 3.96 ERA) taking the hill and righty Mario Alvarez (4-6, 5.77 ERA) going for the Catfish. It is a pitching rematch of last Thursday's 8-7 Columbus win at Riley Park.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 3, 2006


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