Tourists Blast BlueClaws, Sweep Doubleheader and Series
Published on April 29, 2013 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release
GAME ONE RECAP:
Asheville, N.C. - The Asheville Tourists (14-9) powered three home runs in the first and held on late to shut down the Lakewood BlueClaws (7-16) 11-6 in game one of a doubleheader Monday afternoon at McCormick Field. The loss for Lakewood marks the third in a row, and the win is the eighth in a row for Asheville.
After the BlueClaws had squandered a bases loaded, one-out rally in the top half of the first, it was the Tourists that struck first in the bottom half of the inning.
Matt Wessinger tagged the fifth pitch of the day from Shane Watson and led off the inning with a solo home run to left field. Two batters later it was Rosell Herrera with a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0.
After a Tom Murphy triple, it was Derek Jones with a two run shot and Matt Argyropoulos with a solo homer. The back-to-back homers made it 5-0 after the first.
Lakewood netted a run, and made it 5-1 in the second, when Carlos Tocci scored from third on a 5-4-3 double play grounded into by the catcher Chad Carman.
The Tourists picked up a lone run in the second, and stretched the lead to 7-1 on a Murphy solo home run in the third.
Lakewood manufactured two runs in the fourth to pull within four. Brian Pointer singled and Mitch Walding walked. After moving into scoring position on a Ben Hughes wild pitch, Pointer and Walding both scored on back-to-back groundouts to the right side.
The comeback for the BlueClaws continued in the fifth when Art Charles hit a three run homerun to center that plated Angelo Mora and Larry Greene, Jr. Charles' fourth blast of the season cut the deficit to just one at 7-6.
The final blow came from Herrera in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, the shortstop doubled off the wall in right and plated Juan Ciriaco and Wessinger to make it 9-6. Jones followed suit, two hitters later with a two-run double to right that made it 11-6.
Watson (1-2) took the loss and lasted just three innings. The righty allowed seven runs, six earned, on six hits. He did not walk a batter, struck out two, but allowed four home runs in his outing.
Hughes (3-2) earned the victory and finished five innings, over which he allowed all six runs on four hits; he walked five and struck out two. Brook Hart and Raul Fernandez backed the starter up with two innings of scoreless relief.
Deborah Heart and Lung Center Player of the Game: Derek Jones (ASH) 3-4, HR, 2B, 4RBI
GAME TWO RECAP:
Asheville, N.C. - The Lakewood BlueClaws (7-17) blew a five run lead and fell 10-8 to the Asheville Tourists (15-9) in game two of a doubleheader, Monday afternoon at McCormick Field. The loss marks the fourth in a row for the BlueClaws and the win is the ninth in a row for the Tourists.
Down by one in the fourth, the Tourists collected its second, four-run inning of the game and took a 9-6 lead and never looked back. With two on and two runs home, Tom Murphy capped off the inning with his sixth home run, a two run shot, which gave the Tourists a three-run advantage.
In the fifth, Mitch Walding doubled home Willie Carmona and scored on Chace Numata's single to get within one, but the Tourists responded with another run in the bottom half of the inning.
The BlueClaws got the offense going trailing 1-0 in the top of the second. Lakewood took the lead with two runs in the frame. Willie Carmona and Alejandro Villalobos hit back-to-back doubles to put two runners in scoring position for Carlos Tocci. The centerfielder singled home Carmona to tie the game.
Chace Numata followed with a double-play ball to second. The Tourists got one out at second, however the shortstop Rosell Herrera did not complete the turn because he thought the out at second retired the side. As a result, Villalobos scored and gave the BlueClaws a 2-1 lead.
The tough afternoon continued defensively for Herrera as in the third, the shortstop committed two errors that aided the BlueClaws to four runs in the inning. Roman Quinn was hit by a Jonathan Vargas pitch to begin the inning and Angelo Mora followed with a single to put two on.
Larry Greene, Jr. was next to bat and cleared the bases with a two run double. Carmona followed with an RBI double of his own to make it 5-1 Lakewood. After the two errors to Herrera, Numata picked up the fourth run of the inning with an RBI groundout that scored the first baseman Carmona.
After the four-run top of the third, the Tourists responded with a four-run bottom of the third, and again, pulled within one. After a leadoff walk, Kevin Brady struggled and walked the next batter as well. David Dahl hit an RBI double in front of Herrera who atoned for his miscues with a three run home run that made it 6-5.
Kevin Brady began the second game on the mound for the BlueClaws and lasted four hitters into the third inning. The righty allowed five runs, all earned, on four hits; he walked three and struck out three. Jeb Stefan followed with two innings of shaky relief. Stefan (0-3) was tagged for four runs on three hits; he walked a pair and struck out one.
Jonathan Vargas became the third Asheville starter in the series to earn the win, while yielding 5 or more runs. Vargas (1-0) allowed all eight runs, seven of which were earned, on nine hits; he didn't walk a batter and struck out four. Rayan Gonzalez finished up the game on the mound and earned his first save of the season.
Deborah Heart and Lung Center Player of the Game: Willie Carmona (LWD) 3-4, 2 2B, 3R, RBI
The Lakewood BlueClaws have an off day on Tuesday and will return to action on Wednesday night at FirstEnergy Park for the opener of a seven game homestand. The first opponent in town will be the Charleston RiverDogs (Yankees Affiliate). Wednesday night's game will feature LHP Yoel Mecias (0-1, 7.53) on the bump for the BlueClaws and LHP Daniel Camarena (0-1, 9.00). The game is scheduled to begin at 6:35 PM.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 29, 2013
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