Monday, August 6, 2007

Catfish sweep Lexington

For the first time this season, the Columbus Catfish have swept a 4-game series at home. They beat the Lexington Legends (Astros) 6-4 tonight, to close the home stand with a 5-game winning streak.

The Catfish scored first, when Ryan Royster hit his team-leading 18th homer in the 2nd inning, a solo shot that hit off the clubhouse roof beyond right field.

Lexington took the lead in the 3rd, scoring a pair of runs on 2 singles, a walk, a ground out, and an error.

Up 2-1, Lexington added another run in the 6th. Two errors on 1 play allowed Lexington's Jordan Parraz to reach 2nd base to lead the inning. Parraz scored on the 3rd Catfish error of the inning, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead.

The Catfish tied it up in the bottom of the 6th. With 1 out, John Matulia singled. With 2 outs, Cesar Suarez reached on an infield single. Both scored when Nevin Ashley tripled to left-center, tying the game at 3 runs apiece.

In the 7th, the Catfish took the lead back. Seth Dhaenens was hit by a pitch, then Craig Albernaz reached on a single to left. After a pitching change, Dhaenens was erased at third, allowing Jairo De La Rosa to reach first. John Matulia doubled, sending home Albernaz and De La Rosa. Joey Callender followed with a double of his own, scoring Matulia, and putting the Catfish up 6-3.

Lexington added a run in the 8th, closing the gap to 6-4, but that's as close as they got.

Will Kline pitched 4 innings to start the game, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, on 4 hits, striking out 3. Wilton Noel pitched 3 innings, allowing 1 unearned run and 1 hit, striking out 1, and picked up his 4th win. Hunter Davis pitched 1 inning, allowing an unearned run on 1 hit, striking out a pair. Ryan Reid pitched the 9th, allowing 1 hit, striking out 1, and getting his 9th save.

Matulia went 3-for-4, falling a homer short of the cycle, driving in 2 and scoring 2 runs. Cesar Suarez was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The win gave the Catfish their 3rd 4-game sweep of an opponent this season, the first at home. The win also kept the Catfish on pace with Charleston, and pulled them ahead of Asheville. The Catfish are now in 2nd place, 1/2 game behind Charleston. After a day off Tuesday, they head to Greensboro, NC for 4 games, then to Hickory, NC for another 4 games before returning home on the 16th.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please choose a Profile in "Comment as" or sign your name to Anonymous comments. Comment policy