Catfish win finale

The Columbus Catfish are no more.

But they went out winners.

The Catfish are moving from Columbus, Georgia, to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season. And they played their final game today -- a road game against the Rome Braves. The Catfish won the game, 5-2.

Rome got on the board in the 1st inning, scoring a pair of runs on a walk, a double, a single, and an RBI ground out, taking a 2-0 lead.

The Catfish narrowed the gap in the 2nd inning. RF Quinn Stewart hit the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall, his 8th Catfish home run of the year.



Stewart hit 4 additional home runs for Vero Beach early in the year, before re-joining the Catfish, giving him 12 for the year overall.

In the 4th, LF Stephen Vogt reached on an error to lead off the inning. With 2 outs, 2B Chase Fontaine singled, setting the stage for 1B Henry Wrigley's 3-run homer.



Wrigley's 7th home run of the year gave the Catfish a 4-2 lead.

The Catfish added another run in the 6th, on an error by Rome CF C. J. Lee, who dropped what would have been out three on a fly ball by Fontaine. The error allowed Stewart, who had singled, to score, making the score 5-2 in favor of the Catfish.

P Jason Ragan won his first game since July 19th, a string of 2 losses wrapped around 3 no-decisions. Ragan allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out a pair, while walking two. John Baird, Jose Angel Mejias, Kevin Boggan, and Justin Garcia eached pitched an inning of relief, with Garcia getting his 7th save. Rome managed only 2 hits off the Catfish bullpen, which didn't allow a walk.

Fontaine, Stewart, as well as CF Maiko Loyola each had a pair of hits. Wrigley was the only other Catfish batter to get a hit, but his 3-run homer helped provide the margin of victory.

The win closes out the Catfish existence with 2 wins in a row, and 5 victories in their final 6 games.