Catfish drop third straight, series to Charleston

After taking the first game of the series with the Charleston RiverDogs (Yankees), the Columbus Catfish have now dropped three straight games, and dropped the series with Charleston, concluding with tonight's 7-2 loss.

Down 2-0 in the 2nd inning, C Mike McCormick blasted a 2-run homer off the billboard in left-center, driving in 2B Cody Cipriano, who had doubled to start the inning.



That tied the game at two, and Catfish fans thought the tide had turned.

It hadn't.

Charleston scratched out a run in the 5th, when CF Abraham Almonte, who had singled and stolen two bases in the inning, scored on a swinging strikeout wild pitch that would have been the third out.

Charleston added another run on a wild pitch in the 6th, 2 in the 7th on a 2-run triple by RF Dave Williams, and another in the 9th on back-to-back doubles.

A double play ended a Catfish threat in the 5th, a Cipriano double went for naught in the 6th, and an Emeel Salem triple in the 8th developed into nothing.

Cipriano and McCormick each had 2 hits for the Catfish. Salem and SS Omar Luna were the only other Catfish to get a hit off the Charleston pitching staff tonight.

Glenn Gibson pitched well, going 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, striking out 5 in the losing effort. He's 0-3 on the season. Kevin Boggan also allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, striking out 1, in 2 innings work. Chris Fessler allowed 2 hits in the 8th, getting 1 K. Travis Risser allowed a run on 3 hits in the 9th.

The loss drops the Catfish to 8-10, 7 games off the pace.

They look to turn it around tomorrow night when the Rome Braves return for a pair of games.