Catfish hit 4 HRs, fall to Greensboro

The bats came alive for the Columbus Catfish Wednesday night. Catfish batters smacked four home runs, but the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) beat the Catfish, 12-6.

John Matulia blasted two homers for Columbus (28-17) in the losing effort. The 20-year-old center fielder hit solo shots in the third and fifth innings, giving him four on the season. It was his first career two-homer game and came one night after Matulia fell a homer short of the cycle.

Cesar Suarez hit a solo blast, his 10th, and Ryan Royster ripped a two-run shot, his 20th, for the Catfish, who had a five-game winning streak snapped and fell 1 1/2 games behind first-place Charleston in the South Atlantic League's Southern Division.

Columbus starter Wade Townsend (6-10) surrendered seven runs -- six earned -- on four hits and five walks while striking out two in 3 1/3 innings. The former first-round draft pick fell to 2-8 on the road.

The loss drops the Catfish to 1-1/2 games behind division-leading Charleston.