The Hits Just Keep Coming

June 22, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release


First baseman Luis Ortiz was 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI to lead a 16-hit attack as the Edmonton Trappers downed the Albuquerque Isotopes 8-3 Saturday night at Isotopes Park. It was the second straight game in which the club has banged out 16 hits and the fifth consecutive contest in which Edmonton has collected at least 10 or more hits. The Trappers have 732 hits in 72 games, putting the club on pace to collect 1454 hits this season, which would fall just short of the club record of 1459 set in 1983. The Trappers are batting .329 in their last 11 games and lead the Pacific Coast League with a .302 team batting average. The highest batting average in club history is .303, set by the 1997 squad that won the PCL Championship. It was the first game for the Trappers in Albuquerque since April of the 2000. The Isotopes relocated to Albuquerque from Calgary at the conclusion of the 2002 season. The Trappers and Isotopes will continue this four-game set on Sunday night at Isotopes Park.

Ortiz started at first base after Edmonton's regular starting first baseman, Joe Vitiello, was summoned to the big leagues earlier in the day by the Montreal Expos. He made his first at-bat count, taking right-hander Mike Judd (3-6) deep over the wall in left field to lead off the second inning. With two down in the frame Scott Hodges singled to right field and then scored on a double by Randy Knorr. Todd Belitz took over for Judd in the third inning and surrendered four runs to the Trappers. Anthony Medrano, who had his on-base streak stopped at 38 games on Friday night, doubled to open the inning. Terrmel Sledge was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up on a fly ball by Ortiz. Matt Cepicky followed with a single by plated Medrano and advanced Sledge to third. A double by Valentino Pascucci plated Cepicky and Sledge and Knorr capped the inning with a base hit that scored Pascucci from second.

Edmonton starter Seung Song (2-0) held the Isotopes off the board through the first four innings, but they finally got to the right-hander in the fifth for a single run. With one down and pitcher Juan Alvarez at first base veteran outfielder Gerald Williams singled to left field, moving Alvarez to second. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Alvarez scored Albuquerque's first run as Kevin Hooper grounded out to second. Song helped his own cause with a leadoff single in the sixth. He later scored on an Ortiz base hit and Luis Figueroa scored Edmonton's eighth and final run on a balk by Alvarez. Hansel Izquierdo took over for Song in the bottom of the sixth and surrendered two runs. Catcher Paul Hoover's RBI double plated former Trapper of the Year Jason Wood and left fielder Chris Wakeland followed with a base hit that scored Hoover. Izquierdo went on to pitch 4.0 innings and earn his third save of the season in the process.

Highlights:

Trappers: Are 15-22 on the road...have collected 10 or more hits in five consecutive games and in eight of the last 11 games...are batting .329 in those 11 games...lead the PCL with a .302 team batting average...have 732 hits in 72 games, putting the club on pace for 1454 hits in 2003...the club record for hits is 1459...the club record for team batting average is .303...are 12-8 when scoring the first run on the road...Edmonton leads the season series and the All-Time series, 1-0.

2B Luis Figueroa: Was 2-for-5 with a run scored to extend his hitting streak to seven games...is 14-for-32 (.438) during the streak, which is his longest this season...has four multiple-hit games in that span and has struck out only one time.

RHP Seung Song: Earned his second win in as many starts for the Trappers after being promoted from Double-A Harrisburg on June 12...allowed one run on four hits and two walks in 5.0 innings on the hill...fanned four...is 7-2 between the two clubs.

Alumni Report:

2B Warren Morris (DET) @ COL: Hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning off Rockies reliever Jose Jimenez, but it wasn't enough as the Tigers fell 9-6 at Coors Field...had three hits and is batting .333 in his limited time with the Tigers.



Pacific Coast League Stories from June 22, 2003


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