UD/ DE HS and DE Ath News and Blue Rocks

[dawrestling]

THEY SAID IT:


First Baseman Ryan O’Hearn



“I think it’s been building up. We haven’t had a lot of luck lately and guys were putting good swings on it today. Guys have been having good ABs and hitting the ball hard. It was good to score a bunch of runs for a change, and hopefully this is something that will spark our offense a little bit.”


“Maybe (that second homerun was the furthest I’ve hit). That was a good one, it’s up there. It was 2-0 and the guy threw hard…I was guessing fastball there and he threw it right down the middle. It was good to get some homeruns, (hopefully I can) keep that up. I’ve been struggling as of late…so hopefully this can spark something for me too, as well as the team and we can get on a little winning streak. That would be nice.”


“(Getting down) is going to happen when you’re not playing too good, but it’s not like we’re not trying. Everyone is going out there and trying and that’s how baseball is sometimes. It was good to get on the other side of it today and hopefully we can keep doing that.”


“The pitchers have been (good) all year so sometimes you’ve got to pick them up because they’ve done that for us. It was a good game for us and it was fun to put some runs on the board.”


“We got some breaks there, too. There was that ball off the handle to (Grant DeBruin) and when the pitcher fell over. Sometimes that happens and you’ve just got to take what they give you. When there’s guys on base (you have to) drive the runners in. I just hope we can keep it going.”


“We’ve had bad luck, but that’s just how the game is. Sometimes things have gone our way, sometimes they haven’t. Lately, they really haven’t for the past couple of weeks. We need to get on the good side of luck and get some wins together.”


“(Andrew Edwards) was great. Just to have a guy come in and pound the strike zone. When you have a lead that’s what you’ve got to do, just stay in the zone and let your defense work. He did a great job.”


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[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: via RocksMedia<rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Fri, Aug 14, 2015 at 7:55 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Wilmington Suffers Another Shutout In Loss To Potomac
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Wilmington Suffers Another Shutout In Loss To Potomac

The Rocks Were Unable To Crack The Scoreboard For The Fifth Time In 18 Games


WOODBRIDGE, VA – The tough times continued for the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Friday. The Rocks failed to score for a Carolina League-high 15th time this season in a 4- 0 setback to the Potomac Nationals at Pfitzner Stadium. The loss was the Rocks' 17th in their last 18 games, and dropped the first-half champion Blue Crew to 15-32 since the All-Star break, far and away the worst record in the CL.


Potomac used aggressive base running and some timely hitting to register its runs. Rafael Bautista opened the bottom of the first with a walk, then stole second and third and came home on Grant DeBruin's two-out, two-strike single.


DeBruin came through with another two-out RBI hit against Wilmington starter Pedro Fernandez in the fourth. That frame was kick-started by Bautista's one-out double. Again Bautista showed off his speed by stealing third and scored on Alec Keller's sac fly to left. John Wooten then doubled to left and DeBruin dunked a liner into shallow center that increased Potomac's lead to three runs. DeBruin capped the scoring with a run-scoring single in the eighth for his third RBI of the night.


Fernandez took his third loss in as many outings for Wilmington this season. The 19th-ranked prospect in the Kansas City organization was chased after just 4.2 frames. He was far from terrible, allowing the three scores on eight hits and one walk. Fernandez fanned only two.


Meanwhile, Potomac pitcher Austen Williams was magnificent. The righty tossed six scoreless frames, yielding just three hits and one walk. The Rocks best chance against him came in the fourth when they put runners at first and third, but Elier Hernandez grounded into a threat-quelling fielder's choice grounder to short.


Derek Self kept Wilmington off the board in the seventh and eighth innings, while Brian Dupra capped off the shutout by working a scoreless ninth.


The Rocks and P-Nats continue their three-game series from Pfitzner Stadium on Saturday evening. Alec Mills makes his return to the Rocks since going on the D.L. in July with a finger injury. Prior to the injury Mills was a CL All-Star, going 6-6 with a 2.73 ERA. Potomac will counter with righty Brian Rauh who is 2-1 with a 2.21 ERA. First pitch from Pfitzner Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


The Potomac Nationals were running fools on Friday night at Pfitzner Stadium. Potomac stole four bases before Wilmington had recorded an out in the third inning and finished the night with six total thefts. That was the most steals by a Blue Rocks opponent all season. The Rocks' previous season-high was four thefts by an opponent, which they have allowed twice this season -- the last time coming on July 15 against Frederick. Rafael Bautista single-handedly reached that total during Friday's win for Potomac, stealing second and third base two times each. That was obviously the most thefts by an individual opponent in one game this year, as no single foe had swiped more than two. The Rocks have caught just 41 of 154 potential base-stealers this season. Catcher Cam Gallagher, who had the highest percentage of any catcher in that department last season, has caught just 20 of 79 theft attempts against him in 2015.


Carlos Garcia and Elier Hernandez provided two of the lone bright spots of the night for Wilmington. After narrowly missing his second Advanced-A homerun of the season in the second inning, Hernandez would respond by roping a line drive through the left side for a base hit in the seventh inning. That hit extended Hernandez’ current hitting streak to seven games, over which he is 10-for-29 with a run scored. Garcia also had a nice night, coming off a 2-for-3 night on Thursday, going 2-for-4 at the plate. He was the only position player to collect multiple hits for the Blue Crew on Friday. The Rocks’ leadoff man now has his average up to .284 with his on-base percentage sitting at a very impressive .346 mark. Hernandez now has his average up to .235 after batting just .202 through his first 26 games with Wilmington.


Wilmington's struggles with runners in scoring position continued on Friday night. Just 24 hours after the Rocks put together a 2-for-21 showing with runners on second and/or third base against Carolina, Wilmington went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position during Friday's loss, stranding two men at third and one at second base. On the season the Rocks are hitting .256 with runners in scoring position, a far cry from the .300 average they carried in those situations over the season's first two months.


With a loss on Friday, the Rocks have now dropped 17 of their last 18 contests, a stretch which included a franchise-record 14-game losing skid. Over the course of the last 18 games, Wilmington has batted .222 (127-for-572), and scored just 37 times in those 18 games. This stretch has led Wilmington to 10 straight series losses, meaning that on Saturday the Rocks will be playing to avoid dropping their 11th consecutive series. They would still have to win the next two games in order to avoid that fate. Five of their 17 losses have also been shutouts, bringing Wilmington’s total up to 15 shutouts on the season, already eclipsing the total of the 2014 Blue Crew who were shutout just eight times.


THEY SAID IT:


Manager Brian Buchanan


“(Pedro Fernandez) threw the ball okay. He left too many pitches up in certain counts. He’s got a good arm, he just has to locate better. That’s his biggest thing is throwing down in the zone with all of his pitches. I don’t know how many changeups he threw but he was just trying to pitch. He couldn’t locate his fastball very well except for a few innings. I think he was just trying to battle through it.”


“No (struggles with running in scoring position isn’t mental), I think they’ve just got to keep working. It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to work through it. When you get guys out there you can’t panic and you’ve got to put a good at-bat together. You’ve got to hit the ball hard somewhere, and after that it’s out of your control. They’ve just got to calm down a little bit and put good at-bats together when you’ve got guys out there and see what happens.”


“Home is nice but we’ve got to win games on the road too. It’s a game of playing half at home and half on the road. We do play better at home but we’ve got to come out tomorrow and do what we can tomorrow and Sunday and head home.”


“(Alec Mills) is fine. He’s healthy, he’s good. Not facing hitters in a live game (for a while) I’m not sure how crisp he’ll be, but hopefully he’ll go out there and give us a couple innings and just get him back in the swing of things and get him ready for the playoffs.”


Pitcher Ashton Goudeau


“I definitely(felt comfortable today). I had some troubles in Lynchburg locating. I didn’t really get warmed up, but that’s not an excuse, I was just leaving the ball up. Today I felt really good in the bullpen. I had good command of my fastball and I really had a good feel for my breaking balls. I knew that if I got ahead I could just use my off-speed.”


“If I have (ever struck out two men on six pitches) I can’t think of it. It’s just good to get those quick outs…I was able to get ahead and go to those breaking balls and it just worked out for me.”


“(I do) a lot of conditioning (with) Alex Gett, our strength (trainer). We come up with programs to get the body flush. Other than that, I do some arm work on my own. (James Stone), our trainer, does a good job of keeping us healthy as well.”


“I always enjoy starting (more than anything). You get your own day, you get your own time. You have all the time in the world to prepare.”


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[dawrestling]

Date: Wed, Aug 12, 2015 at 6:38 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Rocks Held Off Scoreboard as Carolina Evens Series at Frawley Stadium
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Rocks Held Off Scoreboard as Carolina Evens Series at Frawley Stadium
Wilmington held to four hits in loss


WILMINGTON, Del. – The Blue Rocks could not figure out Carolina starter Andrew Waszak on Wednesday, falling 4-0 to the Mudcats at Frawley Stadium. The Rocks dropped to 53-62 with the loss, including a 15-30 second half record. Carolina improved to 59-56 and 25-21 in the second half. The shutout defeat was the 14th of the 2015 campaign for the Blue Crew, and their first since August 2, which also came against Carolina.


Carolina got on the scoreboard early on Wednesday thanks to a pair of runs in the top of the second. Wilmington starter Matthew Strahm retired the first two men of the inning, but Joe Odom doubled with one out and the bases empty. Odom would score when the next batter, Johan Camargo, singled, with Camargo moving to second base on the throw home on the play. Camargo was then chased home by Reed Harper’s single, making it 2-0 Mudcats after the frame.


The top of the seventh inning brought another run for Carolina. With Robinson Yambati into the ballgame, Joey Meneses led off the frame with a single. Two batters later, Camargo came up with his second RBI of the evening, this time courtesy of a triple. The three-bagger scored Meneses, giving Carolina a 3-0 edge.


The Mudcats concluded their offensive output with a final run in the eighth inning. Connor Lien walked to begin the frame, then eventually stole two bags to get to third base with one out. Two batters after Lien got to third, Carlos Franco produced a run-scoring double, which capped the scoring at 4-0 Carolina.


The Rocks and Mudcats will play the rubber match of this three-game series on Thursday at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


With Wednesday’s loss, the Rocks will need a victory in Thursday’s ballgame to capture the series against the Mudcats. It has been quite some time since Wilmington came away with a series win, with their last one coming in a three-game set lasting from July 7 through July 9 against Frederick. The Blue Crew has dropped its last nine series, and 16 overall on the season. For Wilmington, their next series win will be their 12th. Thursday will be a rubber match for the Rocks, and they are 4-5 in rubber matches in 2015.


The struggles at Frawley Stadium continued on Wednesday for Robinson Yambati. The right-hander allowed two runs against the Mudcats, notching a no-decision in the process. Yambati has now allowed at least one earned run in seven straight home tilts. The last time Yambati produced a scoreless outing on the riverfront came back on June 5 against Frederick. The native of the Dominican Republic tossed two scoreless innings in that contest, a game which the Rocks won 5-1. Yambati is pitching to a 6.55 ERA in 16 home games this season, as opposed to a 4.50 earned run average across 11 road contests this season.


The Blue Rocks for some reason do not like facing Andrew Waszak. The righty has enjoyed many quality outings against Wilmington this season, and Wednesday was certainly no exception. Waszak entered Wednesday’s contest with a 2-1 record and an ERA of 1.47 in five games (two starts) against the Blue Crew this season. The Michigan-native twirled seven scoreless on Wednesday, yielding only two hits and two walks while striking out five. As a result of his shutout effort, Waszak now holds a sparkling 1.07 ERA over 25.1 innings pitched against the Rocks this year.


Wednesday saw Matthew Strahm tie his career-high in terms of innings pitched. The lefty threw six innings against the Mudcats, a mark that he has only reached once before in professional baseball. His only six-frame outing also came in 2015, when he went six against Frederick on July 7, a game which the Blue Crew lost 4-3. Strahm began the year with the Low-A Lexington Legends before getting the call to the Blue Rocks in June. Strahm was born in Fargo, North Dakota, and entered the Royals organization as a 21st round pick in the 2012 Free Agent Draft out of Neosho County Community College.


THEY SAID IT:


Manager Brian Buchanan:


“(Matthew) Strahm did a decent job, he had a few two out singles that cost us but offensively we hit some balls hard and right at them. That was the only way we could have changed the outcome but, (we have to) tip our hat to (their pitcher,) he did a great job and we couldn’t get anything going.”


“He was throwing his fastball down and his curveball for strikes. He kept us off-balance and we didn’t make too many adjustments (so the outcome) will happen.”


“(Matthew Strahm did a good job,) he had the second inning where he had the two outs. We just have to start finishing (batters) when we have two outs or we will get killed with two out RBI's. He threw some pitches that were up and they were missing but we would like those misses to be down a little bit. For the most part (Strahm) pitched well.”


“It is up to them (to finish off batters.) We cannot throw the ball for them so once they get to two outs they cannot let up and finish the inning. Right now we have been getting hurt a little bit (because of it.)”


Starting Pitcher Matthew Strahm:


“I was up in the zone early. After about the third inning I finally got it back down. I was just efficient with my pitches.”


“(Santiago Nessy) was just trying to slow me down (by coming out to the mound), let me take a breath and get back on top of it. He was doing what he needed to do and I appreciate it.”


“Maybe (I was working too fast). I just wasn’t getting on top of the ball. I fixed it after the third inning, which was about an inning too late. (Nessy) slowed me down a couple of times and it worked.”


“We’re out here competing every day. We’re not out here (feeling bad for ourselves). We competed and fell short. We’ll have to come out tomorrow and get them tomorrow.”

www.bluerocks.com


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[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Sun, Aug 16, 2015 at 6:32 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Strong Start From Lovvorn Leads Wilmington To A Series Win
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Strong Start From Lovvorn Leads Wilmington To A Series Win

Lovvorn Went Seven Strong En Route To The Rocks’ First Series Win Since Early July


WOODBRIDGE, VA – For the first time in more than a month the Wilmington Blue Rocks have won consecutive games. Ryan O'Hearn had two hits and drove in four runs as Wilmington topped the Potomac Nationals, 3-1 on Sunday at Pfitzner Stadium. After dropping 17 of their previous 18 games, the Rocks took the final two of their last visit to Potomac in 2015.

O'Hearn wasted little time providing his pop to the Wilmington offense. His one-out double to the right-centerfield gap in the first inning plated Jack Lopez and Mauricio Ramos, giving Wilmington a 2-0 edge.

Potomac cut that deficit in half in the second inning on an RBI triple from catcher Zach Wright, but O'Hearn wasted little time restoring the two-run lead. The Dunedin, FL native smoked a Brian Rauh pitched over the fence in dead-center for a one-out solo shot in the top of the third.

Zach Lovvorn helped make that 3-1 edge hold up. The righty turned in his fourth straight quality start and his sixth in eight total turns with the Blue Rocks. Lovvorn allowed just one run on six hits in six innings pitched. He worked to contact, fanning two, but also walked only a single batter.

He worked his way out of some jams early and late jams in his outing. Lovvorn stranded runners at the corners in the first, and induced a soft grounder to first with the infield in, that allowed the Rocks to get an out at the plate in the second. He also left a runner in scoring position in the sixth and got another out at the plate in the seventh, which allowed him to get out of a second-and-third one-out pickle unscathed. In between the Wilmington starter dominated. He retired 13 in a row at one point, allowing just three balls out of the infield over that stretch.

Rauh took the loss for Potomac. The right-hander did not pitch poorly, yielding just three runs on seven hits over seven frames. He fanned eight and walked only two, but was simply done in by O'Hearn and out-dueled by Lovvorn. The Wilmington right-hander went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits, a walk, and struck out two. Lovvorn moved to 3-3 at Advanced-A with a win.

The Rocks will enjoy a night off on Monday before continuing this home-and-home series with Potomac. The P-Nats come to Frawley Stadium for a four-game, three-day series that starts with a doubleheader on Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. Game one will see lefty Matthew Strahm take the bump for Wilmington. Strahm, who has slotted consistently into a starting role in the second-half, is 1-3 with a 3.21 ERA. Jakob Junis gets the ball in the back-end of the twin-bill. Junis is 4-9 with a 3.60 ERA. It is a seven-game home stand for Wilmington, the team's longest since late-May. For tickets call 302-888-BLUE or visit BlueRocks.com.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Ryan O'Hearn is beginning to adjust to life in the Carolina League. The 25th-ranked prospect in the Kansas City Royals organization, according to Baseball America, had just two extra-base hits and no homers in his first 12 Advanced-A games. He then hit his first home run as a Blue Rock on July 31 at Frawley Stadium against the Carolina Mudcats. That was the first of 11 extra-base hits from O'Hearn over his last 14 contests. The Dunedin, FL native hit his fifth dinger with Wilmington on Sunday at Potomac after knocking two out of the park on Saturday evening. The solo homer and two-RBI double brought his Carolina League RBI total to 17 -- 15 of which have come in the last 14 affairs. He batted .277 in 81 games while leading the team in homeruns (19), RBIs (56), hits (87), and total bases (155). O'Hearn was an eighth round draft pick by the Royals in 2014 out of Sam Houston State. He started his professional career with the Rookie-Level Idaho Falls Chukars, where he was named Pioneer League MVP and Idaho Falls Player of the Year after leading the short-season league in runs (61), hits (90), OPS (1.034), and slugging percentage (.590). He had the highest batting average (.361) of any Royals minor-leaguer in 2014.


Cam Gallagher was able to break out of a slump with a 2-for-4 night on Sunday. Entering the rubber match against Potomac, the Rocks’ backstop was just 4-for-36 in his last 11 contests. Combined with fellow catcher Santiago Nessy (who is 0-for his last-25) that position had been just 4-for-61 since the beginning of August. Sunday’s game saw Gallagher collect a couple of doubles and an RBI. That was the first game with multiple extra-base hits for Gallagher since he collected two doubles on July 25 in a game against the Lynchburg Hillcats. The Lancaster, PA native was drafted in the second round of the 2011 amateur draft by the Royals and is currently the franchise’s 15th best prospect according to Baseball America. He is now batting .224 this season with 12 doubles, four homers, and 20 RBIs.


Despite the fact that Rocks’ pitchers were forced to face some Big League rehabbers, Wilmington hurlers fared well in the series. First, it was 38-year old journeyman Reed Johnson making his debut against the Blue Crew as the designated hitter on Saturday. Johnson got on base on both Saturday and Sunday, but was still held relatively quiet, going 2-for-7 in the series with no run production. On Sunday, it was former first-round pick Denard Span playing centerfield, but Zach Lovvorn held him hitless as he went 0-for-2 with a fly out and a groundout. Wilmington is accustomed to facing rehabbers on Potomac at this point. Earlier this season, Casey Janssen pitched a single inning against Wilmington, going 1-2-3 before being replaced. Last year, the Rocks faced a “household name” when former All-Star Gio Gonzalez made a start against the Rocks on June 6, 2014 and ended up allowing eight runs, all earned, over just 3.2 innings pitched. Former Blue Rock Bubba Starling took Gonzalez deep for a grand slam in that ballgame. Given their proximity to their Major League affiliate, Potomac never has a shortage of big leaguers stopping by on rehab assignments. Already this season, Potomac was graced with the presence of Jayson Werth who went 1-for-6 in three games at Advanced-A with a solo homer.


For the first time in over a month, the Blue Rocks were able to win a series by taking two out of three from the Potomac Nationals. The last time Wilmington had won a series was against the Frederick Keys from July 7-9 when they also won two games of a three-game set. The Blue Crew rode into Potomac losers of two games in a row, 16 of their last 17 games, and 10 consecutive series. The P-Nats, however, were just the second club (Salem) the Rocks faced in that stretch who were below .500 in the season’s second-half. Three of those 10 series were again first place teams (Lynchburg and Winston-Salem) while two more were against second place opponents (Frederick and Myrtle Beach). The offense’s recent surge was a huge reason why the Blue Rocks were able to capture the series. In the last two wins, the Rocks have gone 24-for-78 (.308) with four homeruns, 16 RBIs, six doubles, and three stolen bases. The Blue Crew could use some offense in the month of August. Since the turn of the calendar from July, the Rocks are 3-11, while batting just .232. They batted over .250 as a team in each of the first three months of the season on their way to a first-half CL North title.

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[dawrestling]

From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 18, 2015 at 7:19 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Wilmington Begins Six-Game Home Stand with Two Losses Against Nationals
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Wilmington Begins Six-Game Home Stand with Two Losses Against Nationals

Rocks swept in doubleheader for fourth time this season


WILMINGTON, Del. – Fresh off their first winning streak in over a month, the Blue Rocks dropped two games against Potomac on Tuesday by scores of 5-0 and 4-2. The losses brought Wilmington to 55-66 overall, and 17-34 in the season’s second half. Carlos Garcia tallied three hits between the two contests to lead the way offensively, but could not get much support from the rest of his offense.


In the front end of the doubleheader, Potomac opened up the scoring in the top of the third. Rafael Bautista reached on a single off Matthew Strahm to begin the inning, but was erased on a double play off the bat of Narciso Mesa. With the bases empty and two down, big league-rehabber Reed Johnson smoked a solo home run over the left field fence. The long ball was his first in the Carolina League this season, and it gave Potomac a 1-0 lead.


The Nationals doubled their lead with a run in the fifth. Zach Wright got the inning started by drawing a walk, then moved to second base on a ground out by David Masters. Bautista would follow with a single, and Mesa redeemed himself with a squeeze bunt that plated Wright, handing the P-Nats a 2-0 edge.


Potomac would put the game out of reach with a three-run seventh inning. With Robinson Yambati into the contest, the first run of the frame came across when Masters produced a sacrifice fly that scored Khayyan Norfork. Mesa drove in another run later in the inning with a triple, then capped the scoring by sprinting home on a wild pitch to end the game at 5-0.


During the nightcap, Potomac jumped on the board first with a couple of early runs. In the top of the first, Bautista led off the game with a single, then came around to score on Grant DeBruin’s two-out double. In the next frame, Craig Manuel produced a two-bagger with one down, and then was chased home on a single by Masters, giving the P-Nats a 2-0 edge.


The Rocks finally cracked the scoreboard on Tuesday with a tally in the bottom of the third. Wilmington put runners on second and third with one out thanks to a single from Dominique Taylor and a double by Carlos Garcia. Taylor would come home on a ground out by Humberto Arteaga. Garcia would advance to third on the play, but was stranded there, as the Rocks trailed 2-1 at the end of the inning.


Potomac added two more tallies in the fourth inning when Norfork cranked his second home run of the season, making it 4-1 Nats. Wilmington got one more back in the seventh when Santiago Nessy brought in a run with a ground out, but couldn’t get any closer, as the game ended with a 4-2 score.


The Blue Rocks and Nationals continue their series on Wednesday with game three of their four-game series. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


For the second time this season, the Blue Rocks are in the midst of a “home-and-home” series, with Tuesday opening up the second portion of the set. Wilmington just returned home from a three-game road trip against the Potomac Nationals, and after an off-day on Monday, the Rocks and Nats played two more at Frawley Stadium on Tuesday, with two more contests to come over the next two days. Thus far, the Rocks have won two of the five games in the home-and-home. From June 12 through June 17, the Blue Crew played six games in a row against the Salem Red Sox, with the first three coming in Salem and the latter trio of contests being played in Wilmington. The Blue Rocks only won a single game over that stretch.


Game one of the double-dip saw the Blue Rocks suffer their 15th shutout loss of the season. Wilmington’s offense has struggled lately, as Tuesday marked the third time in six contests the Rocks were held off the scoreboard. Wilmington has enjoyed eight shutout victories in 2015, though none in just about a month. The last time the Blue Crew kept an opponent from scoring was back on July 19. The Rocks won 3-0 at Carolina that day, as Zach Lovvorn and Estarlin Cordero combined for the scoreless effort. As for their performances in doubleheaders, Tuesday was the fourth time this season the Rocks were swept in a twin-bill. Wilmington has swept one doubleheader of their own, and they have also split one.


Carlos Garcia did all he could to provide some offense on Tuesday, but the rest of the offense could not cash in on Garcia’s exploits. In game one, the Venezuelan native reached third base with one out in the first inning, but was stranded there. He would reach third again in the third frame, but his teammates left him 90 feet short of scoring once again. During the nightcap, Garcia singled in the first inning, then worked his way to third with two down. He suffered the same fate as the first game, however, as Ryan O’Hearn struck out to end the inning. Combined between the two games, Garcia went 3-for6 with a double.


It has been a struggle for Santiago Nessy at the dish recently. Entering Tuesday, the Venezuelan was hitless in his last 25 at-bats, a cold spell which spanned his last nine games played. His most recent hit prior to the doubleheader occurred almost a month ago, on July 24 at Salem. Nessy took the front end of the twin-bill off on Tuesday, but started in the nightcap, where he put together a 0-for-3 performance. Nessy was batting .262 after that July 24 game, but has since seen his average drop to .207.


THEY SAID IT:


Manager Brian Buchanan:


“(The offense) wasn’t really good. I don’t think we’re being aggressive and, at times, we’re being over-aggressive. It’s kind of a mix between the two. We’ve just got to keep working and string some wins together and push some runs across. Especially after what we did this weekend. We got some wins and put some runs on the board and got big hits. That’s baseball. We’ll keep going.”


“I’m not sure (why we’ve struggled in double-headers. I can’t explain it. Maybe they think it’s going to be a long day and they don’t try as hard. There’s no real explanation for it.”


“When they’re over-aggressive, they’re swinging at sliders that they shouldn’t swing at. When they’re not being aggressive they’re taking fastballs they should probably swing at. It’s the same approach, you’ve just got to stay on the fastball and when you get it you’ve got to swing at it.”


“I though (Matthew) Strahm did okay. He threw some good curveballs. With (Jakob) Junis, I don’t think he was as crisp as he could have been. It wasn’t one of his better outings but he kept us in the game for six innings and gave us a shot. He was missing up a little too much and wasn’t as crisp as he could’ve been.”


Infielder Carlos Garcia:


“It was hard when I first got here. I just have to keep doing the little things, let the big guys like Mauricio (Ramos) and (Ryan) O’Hearn do their job. I’ve got to get on base. I see a good pitch and I try to put the ball in play. I’ve been feeling really (good) at home plate.”


“It was tough. We were facing good pitchers today. (Reynaldo) Lopez was trying really hard. The breaking ball was there and his stuff…when you see a pitcher like that who throws really hard, the off-speed pitches around the plate are really tough. He didn’t want to throw any balls down the middle of the plate to (the middle of the order) and give-up a run.”


“(Lopez) was trying to crowd me inside and surprise me with curveballs on the outside, but I had to stay (on the fastball). I have to stay doing the same thing, try to put the ball in play.”

www.bluerocks.com

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[dawrestling]

Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2015 at 8:11 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Ramos Powers Wilmington Past Salem In Series Opener
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Ramos Powers Wilmington Past Salem In Series Opener

Mauricio Ramos Extended His Team-Lead In Long Balls As The Rocks Defeated The Pesky Red Sox


WILMINGTON, DE – A five-run fifth inning catapulted the Wilmington Blue Rocks past the Salem Red Sox on Friday night, 7-5 at Frawley Stadium. Mauricio Ramos smacked his team-leading eighth homerun of the season while Luis Rico worked three scoreless innings in relief for his seventh win at Advanced-A.


Trailing by a run entering the bottom of the fifth, the Rocks’ offense went to work after Salem starter Teddy Stankiewicz retired the first two batters of the inning. Carlos Garcia started the surge with a bunt single, his second hit of the game. After a walk to Jack Lopez, Ramos gave Wilmington their first lead of the game with a dinger, a three-run shot making it 5-3 Blue Crew. After allowing two more men to reach, Stankiewicz’s day was done as he was replaced by Kyle Kraus. Kraus was greeted to the contest by a two-RBI double down the left-field line from Cam Gallagher plating two and giving Wilmington a 7-3 lead at the end of the inning.


The Red Sox jumped on Rocks’ starter Alec Mills early when they took a 3-0 lead in the top half of the first, thanks mainly to a slew of soft contact from Sox hitters. After the first two men of the frame got on with softly struck grounders, Cole Sturgeon opened the scoring with a line-drive single in front of Elier Hernandez in right. After Mills was able to record two outs, another soft grounder, this one from Forrestt Allday, made it 2-0. A chopper off the bat of Zach Kapstein rounded out the scoring as Salem left the first half-inning with the advantage.


Wilmington fought back in the bottom of the inning. Garcia led-off the frame by extending his hitting streak to eight games with a single into right field. After moving up two bases on two consecutive wild pitches from Stankiewicz, Garcia scored on a Lopez sacrifice fly. Another sac fly from Hernandez made it a 3-2 ballgame after one.


Rico picked up his seventh win of the season, his second consecutive victory piggybacking behind Mills. The southpaw worked three scoreless frames. Estarlin Cordero extended his team-lead in saves when he worked a scoreless ninth. He now has nine saves this year.


The Rocks and Sox continue this their three-game series on Saturday night. Zach Lovvorn, who has turned in four straight quality starts, gets the ball for Wilmington. Lovvorn is 3-3 with a 3.61 ERA. Kevin McAvoy will counter for Salem. He is 8-9 with a 4.06 ERA. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


Alec Mills’ second start back off the Disabled List went much smoother than his first. Despite allowing three runs in the first inning, Mills did not allow much solid contact, as he worked through four innings, ending his day with a 1-2-3 frame in the fourth. Still, the three earned runs he allowed did swell his ERA to 3.19, the highest the All-Star’s earned run average has been since May 21 when he allowed two earned runs over five innings in a loss to Winston-Salem. The righty has been arguably the best pitcher for Wilmington this season, allowing just 36 earned runs and 14 walks over 101.2 innings pitched. He also has 98 strikeouts this season, a total that (before his injury) was top-five in the Carolina League. Mills was a 22nd round pick by the Royals in 2012 out of the University of Tennessee at Martin.


Carlos Garcia continues to be the most consistent hitter in the Wilmington lineup after a two hit game on Friday. Garcia now has an eight game hitting streak dating back to August 12. The speedy leadoff man is now just two games away from tying his season-high hitting streak (10 games), which he did at the end of July (July 18-30). Over his last eight contests, the switch-hitter is batting .445 (12-for-27) with two doubles, two triples, four walks, and five stolen bases. The international free agent out of Venezuela is now batting .294 this year at Advanced-A, the highest average of any current Rocks’ hitter. His .360 on-base percentage is also tops on the squad and fifth-best in the CL.


Despite all of the struggles the Blue Rocks have had against the Red Sox this season, they did not have much trouble figuring out Salem on Friday. The Sox, who came into Frawley Stadium with the worst record in the Carolina League during the season’s second-half, were 7-2 against Wilmington prior to Friday’s game. As a team, the Rocks were batting just .214 with only 20 runs scored in nine games against Salem. Rocks’ hurlers were posting a 3.89 ERA against the Red Sox. The seven runs scored were the most in a game against the Sox this season for the Blue Crew. They’ve been shutout by Salem three times. This three-game series will be the last time the two teams meet in 2015, barring a possible playoff appearance for the Red Sox.


Friday night’s game against Salem started a stretch of 17 straight contests that Wilmington will play against a CL South opponent to close out the regular season. This means the next time the Rocks face one of their CL North rivals, it will be in game one of the Mills Cup Playoffs. Wilmington will hope for some different results against Southern opponents down the stretch, as the Blue Crew has not faired so well against them this year. The Rocks are 10 games under .500 (22-32) against CL South teams. The good news is that 10 of these 17 games will be at Frawley Stadium, where the Rocks are 14-10 against the South, compared to 8-22 on the road. Wilmington finishes out this three-game series against Salem before hitting the road for a seven-game road trip against Carolina and Myrtle Beach. The Rocks round out the regular season with seven home games against Winston-Salem and Myrtle Beach.


THEY SAID IT:


Manager Brian Buchanan


“(Alec Mills) did fine (in the first inning). That’s baseball. That stuff starts happening and stayed with it and made pitches when he needed to. That happens every once in a while when you give up runs on hits that probably shouldn’t be hits. They had some good placed balls. He threw the ball well, he’s still getting back from that time off and I think his mind is telling him where to pitch the ball but right now his body is kind of off.”


“I think (Alec Mills) just needs to pitch. He needs to work on the crispness of his pitches, and that will come with the more bullpens he throws and the more times he gets out there. For him, it’s just working in the bullpen when he has a side (session), and pitching in games to get back to the good crispness he had before he went on the disabled list.”


“I was proud of (the team), they did a good job. Down 3-0, they could have rolled over, especially in the first inning. They could have just sold it in. We got two more runs there in the bottom of the first to get us back in there. Obviously in the fifth, (Mauricio) Ramos and (Cam) Gallagher came up big with those two-out hits. They hung in there and put some good at-bats together.”


“It’s nice (to play more than one series in a row at home). In July, we kind of had a tough schedule. We weren’t home a whole lot. (we played) three games here, three games there, three games here, three games there, and the travel is tough. It’s always nice to have an extended home stand where we can settle down. And we play well at home, which is good.”

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[dawrestling]

From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 22, 2015 at 7:58 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Big Third Inning Not Enough As The Rocks Fall To Salem
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Big Third Inning Not Enough As The Rocks Fall To Salem

A Big Day From Dominique Taylor Wasted By A Red Sox Win


WILMINGTON, DE – A three-run third inning was not enough to propel the Wilmington Blue Rocks to a victory as they fell 4-3 to the Salem Red Sox on Saturday evening at Frawley Stadium. Starter Zach Lovvorn allowed four runs in five innings pitched, all of which came in his first two frames of work. Wilmington is still looking for their first series win against the Red Sox this year as Sunday will be the last time the two teams meet in the 2015 regular season.


For the second consecutive night, the Red Sox jumped on the board in the top of the first inning. After Lovvorn retired the first two men he faced, Cole Sturgeon reached on an innocent groundball through the left side and Kevin Heller brought him in with a not-so-innocent fly ball over the head of Dominique Taylor in center to make it 1-0 Salem through half an inning.


Salem extended their advantage in the second thanks to a couple of doubles from Jordan Betts and Sturgeon, both going for RBIs. Betts’ came after a leadoff walk to Forrestt Allday and he came in to score on Mauricio Dubon RBI single. Sturgeon’s two-bagger brought in Dubon and it was 4-0 Red Sox after two.


The Blue Crew answered the Sox early offense with three runs of their own in the third. Wilmington started the frame with a walk followed by four straight hits, Taylor drove in a run with his 15th double of the season. With two men in scoring position, Carlos Garcia capped the scoring with a two-RBI single to bring the Rocks within one run, 4-3.


In the fifth, the Rocks looked poised to complete the comeback, but they would strand runners at the corners with no outs. Jack Lopez struck out on six pitches before Mauricio Ramos grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.


Salem starter Kevin McAvoy worked around Wilmington’s three run third and got through six solid frames. The right-hander struck out five on the way to his ninth victory of the season.


Wilmington and Salem will round out this three-game series on Sunday evening before the Rocks hit the road for a seven-game road trip. Matthew Strahm will take the mound for the Blue Crew. The lefty is currently 1-4, but with a good 3.25 ERA. The Red Sox counter with Daniel McGrath. The native of Australia is 1-6 with a 4.41 ERA so far at Advanced-A. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


For the first time in almost a month, Zach Lovvorn was not able to turn in a quality start for the Blue Rocks. His outing on Saturday was just the third time in nine Advanced-A starts that the right could not go at least six innings while allowing three or fewer runs. Lovvorn had recorded four consecutive quality starts since he allowed seven runs, all earned, in just three innings against these Salem Red Sox. This season against Salem, Lovvorn has allowed 11 runs in just eight innings, while he has allowed only 14 runs in 44.1 innings against the rest of his opponents. Lovvorn was a sith round pick by the Royals out of Oxford High School in Alabama.


Carlos Garcia continues to be the most consistent hitter in the Wilmington lineup after a two-RBI game on Friday. Garcia now has an nine game hitting streak dating back to August 12. The speedy leadoff man is now just one game away from tying his season-high hitting streak (10 games), which he did at the end of July (July 18-30). Over his last nine contests, the switch-hitter is batting .419 (13-for-31) with two doubles, two triples, four walks, and five stolen bases. The international free agent out of Venezuela is now batting .293 this year at Advanced-A, the highest average of any current Rocks' hitter. His .360 on-base percentage is also tops on the squad and fifth-best in the CL.


Despite a win on Friday, the season-long struggles for the Rocks when facing the Salem Red Sox continued on Saturday night. Wilmington is now 3-8 in their 11 games against the Sox this season, with Sunday being the last time the two teams will meet in 2015, barring a miraculous playoff run for Salem. Wilmington hitters are batting just .225 against Salem pitchers, while they have scored just under three (2.7) runs per game. Wilmington has been shutout by the Red Sox three times. Rocks’ pitchers have also not had an easy go of it again Salem, posting a 4.01 team ERA. Still, the Rocks will have a chance at their first series win against Salem in the rubber game of their three-game set on Sunday evening.


Dominique Taylor, after having a rough go of it at the plate for most of the season, has finally found his stroke in the month of August. Taylor added three more hits to his ledger on Saturday night, two of which went for extra-bases. The outfield out of Frankfurt, Germany is now batting .325 in August (13-for-40) with four doubles and six runs scored. It has been by far Taylor’s most productive offensive month. He now has his average up to .213 on the season, up .014 points from the beginning of the month. Taylor was a 15th round pick by the Royals in 2013 out of the University of California Irvine. Though he was born in Germany to military parents, Taylor now calls Salt Lake City, Utah home during the offseason.


THEY SAID IT:


Second Baseman Carlos Garcia


“There are (different preparations for playing in the field than being the designated hitter.) I have tried to be focused in the role that I will be playing during the game. I catch a couple more ground balls if I know that I am playing second base that night, but basically it is come to the ballpark and do what I do every day and keep working hard.”


“I like to lead off (the batting order.) That is the role that I someday want to have in the big leagues, I want to be the type of hitter like (Ryan) O’Hearn and (Mauricio Ramos) hitting the ball into the gap and hitting home runs. I have been getting used to seeing a couple pitches the first at bat and helping my teammates know what kind of pitcher that game.”


“I prefer to play (in the field.) (The pitch I got two RBI’s) was a changeup. The first pitch (Kevin McAvoy) threw to me, that at bat, was a changeup in the dirt so that was first time I saw that pitch in the game. I tried to keep to the middle of the field because I knew he was throwing a lot of sinkers. When I saw the changeup I just didn’t try to do too much and put the ball in play.”


“It is like I said when I came here; (the biggest adjustment) is the ballpark. Basically I have to do the same thing but when hitting the ball it is not like Lexington. We have a big stadium here (in Wilmington) so I try to pull the ball in the ground and get the ball in play to let (Ramos) and O’Hearn do their job”


Center Fielder Dominique Taylor


"It felt really good (getting three hits). Unfortunately, three runs wasn't enough, but all i could do is hit the best I can. I did my part tonight, and we'll come back tomorrow and hopefully we'll get a win."


"I like (hitting ninth because) it's almost hitting in the lead-off spot. It's like a second leadoff guy. If I'm able to get on, then it goes to the top of the order with (Carlos) Garcia, Jack (Lopez), or (Humberto) Arteaga. They can bunt me over or...we just can have guys with speed on base that can make something happen."


"I always try to keep it simple (playing different outfield positions). Wherever the ball is hit, I try to run and get to it. It's a different angle with different positions, but it's pretty much all the same thing. You see the ball, run to it, and catch it."


"The biggest difference (between Lexington and Wilmington) is (Frawley Stadium) is definitely a pitcher's ballpark. You can't try to hit home runs. You've got to focus on hitting line drives and getting bunts down and just getting on base any way you can."

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[dawrestling]

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2015 at 7:17 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Offense Quieted Again In Shutout Loss To Carolina
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Offense Quieted Again In Shutout Loss To Carolina

The Blue Rocks Suffered Their 17th Shutout Of The Season On Monday Night

ZEBULON, NC – The Wilmington Blue Rocks offense went quietly again on Monday night as they were unable to figure out Carolina Mudcats starter Yean Carlos Gil who helped his squad pick up a 7-0 victory at Five County Stadium. Gil entered the game on Monday with a 2-9 record and a 6.52 ERA at Advanced-A. The shutout for the Rocks was their 17th of the season, the most of any team in the Carolina League.



Gil looked like an ace on Monday as he went seven frames and allowed just one base runner on a single by Elier Hernandez. He struck out six Rocks on the way to his third Advanced-A win this season and shrunk his ERA to 5.91.



The Blue Crew fell into another early hole on Monday as Jose Briceno got the Mudcats on the board in the bottom of the third. Briceno led-off the inning against starter Matthew Strahm and flew a 1-1 pitch down the right field line. The pop-up off the bat of Briceno just kept going until it was over the short-porch in right, Briceno’s fourth homer of the season making it 1-0 Carolina.



The Mudcats extended their advantage against reliever Yender Caramo in the seventh. Joey Meneses roped a pitch from Caramo into the right-centerfield gap with one out that ended up going for three bases, Meneses’ fourth triple of the season. Carolina got creative and pulled off a suicide squeeze with Reed Harper at the plate as Caramo could not nab Meneses at the dish. Later in the frame, with runners on second and third, Johan Camargo lined a single into center that plated two more Mudcats and made it a 4-0 Carolina lead. The Muddy’s went on to add three more runs on RBI hits from Dustin Peterson and Carlos Franco making it 7-0 Carolina through seven.



Wilmington’s offense had a huge opportunity to fight their way back into the game in the top of the eighth when they loaded the bases against reliever Richie Tate with nobody out. Tate was able to work out of the jam with a strikeout of Robert Pehl and a double play off the bat of Logan Moon to keep it a 7-0 Mudcats lead. The Rocks went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Monday.



The Rocks and Mudcats continue their series on Tuesday evening in game two of this three-game set. Pedro Fernandez will look for his first Advanced-A win as he gets the ball for the Blue Crew. The righty is 0-3 with an 8.38 ERA so far this season. Carolina will counter with a left-hander, Matt Bywater. Bywater is 1-1, despite not having given up an earned run yet with the Mudcats. First pitch from Zebulon, North Carolina is scheduled for 7 p.m.



PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:



Carlos Garcia has been the most consistent Rocks’ batter in the second-half of the season, but he was unable to extend his season-high 10 game hitting streak on Monday thanks to an 0-for-4 game. The speedy leadoff man has had two hitting streaks of 10 games this season (first from July 18-30), but he continues to fall just short of a team-high hitting streak, which was compiled by the since retired Cody Stubbs from May 27 – June 10 (11 games). Over his streak, the switch-hitter batted .400 (14-for-35) with two doubles, three triples, four walks, and five stolen bases. The international free agent out of Venezuela is now batting .288 this year at Advanced-A, the highest average of any current Rocks' hitter. His .355 on-base percentage is also tops on the squad and fifth-best in the CL.


With a loss on Monday, the Blue Rocks struggles against CL South opponents continued. This is not welcomed news for the Rocks as they will finish out their season with 14 games against Southern teams before heading to the playoffs. Wilmington has a sub-.500 record against all four teams in the CL South, with their worst record being 3-9 against the Salem Red Sox. Overall, Wilmington is 22-35 when facing CL South opponents, compared to their 35-34 record when facing divisional rivals in the North. The Blue Crew is 2-10 in the month of August versus Southern teams alone. The Rocks close out their 2015 regular season with two more game against Carolina before heading off for a four-game set at Myrtle Beach. The schedule does not get any more forgiving as Wilmington ends the season at home with three games against the first-place Winston-Salem Dash and then four more against the first-half champion Pelicans.



Matthew Strahm took a loss on Monday night, but his nine strikeouts were a major bright spot. The nine K’s matched a career-high for the left-hander, a total he last recorded on June 26 against Potomac. He now has 111 punch-outs in just 83.2 innings pitched this season. Strahm has been one of the most solid arms for the Blue Rocks since he joined the team from Low-A Lexington, but there is one area in which the lefty really struggles: homeruns. Jose Briceno’s solo shot in the third inning was the seventh long ball Strahm has allowed at Advanced-A in his 13 appearances. In 14 appearances with Lexington, the southpaw allowed just a single homer. In his two previous professional seasons (2012 & 2014) the North Dakota native allowed just two total homeruns at Rookie-Level Idaho Falls.



For the 17th time this season, the Wilmington Blue Rocks were shutout by an opponent on Monday. The Rocks just narrowly avoided a shutout on Sunday by scoring a lone run in the bottom half of the ninth in a loss to Salem. Wilmington’s 17 shutout losses is by far the most in the Carolina League, with the next closest team in the eight-team loop is Myrtle Beach with 12 shutout losses. The Blue Crew has shutout other teams eight times, but their 8-17 shutout record is still the worst winning percentage in games when one team doesn’t score. The Rocks have only won ,320 percent of shutouts this season. The next lowest percentage in the League is Frederick, whose 7-8 shutout record is still good for a .476 winning percentage. Adding insult to injury, the six runs scored by Carolina in the seventh was the second-most runs scored in a single inning by a Rocks’ opponent. The most was seven runs, done by the Lynchburg Hillcats back on August 8.



THEY SAID IT:



Catcher Cam Gallagher



“I wouldn’t say (we’re pressing). I’d say we’re struggling as a team to put together good at-bats. When we were home the past couple of games we strung together some good at-bats and put together some good offensive games. Today offensively, defensively, and pitching we didn’t really look like we were into it. I’ve got to take (partial blame) just because I’m the catcher…It might have been the road trip, I’m not sure, but it was just a bad effort today on all parts. We’ve got to step it up.”



“For me and for all the others guys in there, it doesn’t matter (if we don’t get a hit in a long at-bat). You’ve got to put together a good at-bat every time. Not every time you’re going to get a hit, but as long as you’re putting together good at-bats…maybe if it’s the leadoff man and he works a 3-2 count and fouls a couple of pitches off before striking out, guys behind him will see (what the pitcher has). It’s something we all have to step-up a little bit. Just put together good at-bats and get ready for the playoffs because we’re going to see the best guys…teams are going to try to win and we’ve got to get ready.”



“It’s been a little tougher after we already clinched the first-half. You do play for the second-half because you do want home field advantage for both parts, but I guess you’ve got to dig deep and not just say, ‘Oh, well we won the first-half so it doesn’t really matter too much.’ These guys aren’t just satisfied with being in High-A. Everyone wants to win a Carolina League Championship, but everyone wants to get to Double-A. I feel like we all need to…take that extra step. If we’re all still here then we’ve got to go out and fight. I’m sure…there is a little more intensity when the playoffs start, but we’ve got to start (playing well) now. We can’t just snap our fingers and be ready to play. We need to do that now so when the playoffs come it’ll be like second-nature.”



“It’s kind of a joke on that team that (Matthew Strahm) is a strikeout machine. He hasn’t been doing too well as of late but tonight he came out and did a heck of a job. He kept the ball down. His curveball was outstanding. He kept the ball down for the most part, except for that one pitch to (Jose) Briceno and he made him pay. Other than that, he did a great job. Defensively and offensively we’ve got to step it up and give him some insurance Hopefully next time he goes out there we get him some more runs.”



“It’s tough on a pitcher (when they think they’re out of an inning but they’re not). Like I said, we’ve got to dig deep. The inning’s not over. Even if we get that guy out there is still a runner at first base , you can’t forget about that. When the play is over and the call is made you can’t do much about it, you’ve just got to turn the page and go on to the next guy.”

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[dawrestling]

From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 7:50 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Taylor Plays Hero in Ninth, Leads Rocks to Comeback Victory
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Taylor Plays Hero in Ninth, Leads Rocks to Comeback Victory
Three ninth-inning runs help Rocks to third straight win


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – After squandering a three-run lead earlier in the ballgame, the Blue Rocks rallied for three scores in the ninth inning of Friday’s contest against Myrtle Beach, coming away with a 7-5 victory. Dominique Taylor collected three RBIs, including two on a triple in the ninth inning that gave Wilmington the late lead. The victory marked the Blue Crew’s third straight win, their longest winning streak since late June.


The Rocks jumped in front with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Ryan O’Hearn led off the frame by cranking a solo shot over the right field fence. The long ball was his eighth of the year with Wilmington, and it gave the Blue Crew a 1-0 lead. Later in the frame, Alfredo Escalera came to the plate with runners on the corners and one out. Escalera hit a grounder that ate up Myrtle Beach third baseman Jason Vosler, and the ball squirted into left field, which allowed Cam Gallagher to score the second run of the inning.


The Pelicans cut the Rocks’ lead in half in the bottom of the fourth. Victor Caratini tripled to begin the inning, then came around to score as the next batter, Cael Brockmeyer, singled to left. Junis would escape the frame without further damage, but the Wilmington lead was sliced to 2-1.


The Blue Crew collected two more runs in the top of the seventh. Gallagher produced a single to lead off the frame, then after he moved to second base with one out, Escalera smacked a double to the wall. The two-bagger plated Gallagher, giving the Rocks an insurance run. Another tally would cross later in the inning when Taylor came away with a sacrifice fly, making it 4-1 Wilmington after their turn at the plate.


Myrtle Beach came all the way back and then some thanks to a quick response in the bottom of the seventh off of Matt Alvarez. With a runner on and one down, Pin-Chieh Chen smacked a two-run homer to pull the Pelicans to within a single score. After Alvarez struck out Mark Zagunis, he yielded three consecutive doubles, with the one from Victor Caratini providing Myrtle Beach with a 5-4 lead. The Caratini two-bagger spelled the end of Alvarez’s day, and Yender Caramo put out the fire in the seventh, but the damage was done.


In the top of the ninth, Wilmington provided some late magic to retake the lead. Elier Hernandez got things started with a double, his second extra-base hit of the game. He was followed by a single from Gallagher, but Hernandez was cut down at home on Humberto Arteaga’s attempted squeeze bunt for the first out of the inning. Two batters later, down to his final strike with two outs, Taylor laced a clutch triple past Zagunis in right field, scoring two and willing the Rocks to a 6-5 lead. Carlos Garcia came up with an insurance run with an RBI double to put Wilmington in front 7-5. Caramo would seal the deal in the bottom of the frame, and the Rocks got away with a comeback victory.


The Blue Rocks continue their four-game series against the Pelicans on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM. The Rocks return home for their final home stand of the regular season on Tuesday, September 1 when they open a series against Winston-Salem. For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


With Friday’s victory, Wilmington has now won three straight contests, including their season-series finale against Carolina on Wednesday and the first two games of this four-game set with Myrtle Beach. It is the first winning streak of at least three games for the Blue Rocks since late June, and the first one that has happened entirely in the second half. To find the last time the Blue Crew strung together at least three victories, you have to go back to the final two games of the first half into the first two contests of the second half. Wilmington took a pair from Frederick right before the All-Star break right before winning a pair against Potomac to begin the second half. The longest winning streak of the season for the Blue Rocks is six games, a feat they have accomplished twice, most recently from June 1 to June 7.


Ryan O'Hearn continues to adjust nicely to life in the Carolina League. The 25th-ranked prospect in the Kansas City Royals organization, according to Baseball America, had just two extra-base hits and no homers in his first 12 Advanced-A games. He then hit his first home run as a Blue Rock on July 31 at Frawley Stadium against the Carolina Mudcats. That was the first of 16 extra-base hits he has now compiled with Wilmington. The Dunedin, FL native hit his eighth dinger of the season on Friday, tying him with Mauricio Ramos for the team lead. During his time with the Low-A Lexington Legends this season, he batted .277 in 81 games while leading the team in homeruns (19), RBIs (56), hits (87), and total bases (155). O'Hearn was an eighth round draft pick by the Royals in 2014 out of Sam Houston State. He started his professional career with the Rookie-Level Idaho Falls Chukars, where he was named Pioneer League MVP and Idaho Falls Player of the Year after leading the short-season league in runs (61), hits (90), OPS (1.034), and slugging percentage (.590). He had the highest batting average (.361) of any Royals minor-leaguer in 2014.


Elier Hernandez has struggled since coming up from Low-A Lexington, but you wouldn’t know it from his last two games. Hernandez went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two extra-base hits on Thursday, then produced another extra-base hit (a triple) on Friday. Prior to this series against Myrtle Beach, the Dominican native had collected just six extra-base hits in 41 Advanced-A contests. The 22nd ranked prospect in the Royals organization according to Baseball America was signed by Kansas City in July of 2011 when he was just 16-years old. During his time with the Legends, he batted an impressive .290 with 19 doubles and 42 RBIs in 74 games. The Rocks' everyday right fielder has been getting more comfortable with Advanced-A over the last month. He is batting .261 in August after he hit just .210 in July.


Friday night provided a bit of déjà vu for both the Blue Rocks and the Pelicans. Jakob Junis was the starting pitcher for Wilmington, while Duane Underwood got the ball for Myrtle Beach. Those two men opposed each other on Opening Day back on April 9, a game that was also played at TicketReturn.com Field. In round one back in April, the Pelicans coasted to an easy 9-1 victory, as they tagged Junis for six runs in just four innings of work, while Underwood got the win while yielding only one unearned run in five frames. This time around, Junis tossed five innings while giving up only a single score on his way to a no-decision. The righty was in line for the win before the Pelicans rallied against the Wilmington bullpen. He has lost five consecutive decisions prior to the victory on Friday, allowing 24 earned runs in 40.1 innings over seven total games.

 

[dawrestling]

Page 2



THEY SAID IT:



Outfielder Dominique Taylor:


“Elier (Hernandez) did a good job leading off the inning with that double. Unfortunately he couldn’t score, but I just wanted to go up there and do my best to get those guys in. I knew there were two outs, and watching everyone else’s at-bats, I saw (Jasvir Rakkar) was throwing sliders almost every pitch. I was sitting slider there and he threw a couple in the dirt. He tried to sneak a fastball by me, and I was able to foul it off. Then on the full count, I was able to put a good swing on a slider and get those two runs in and take the lead, so that was a good feeling.”


“As a hitter, you always want to sit fastball…It was nice for me to come up later in the inning so I can watch what he did to everyone else. I just saw (him throw a) slider on every pitch. Whether he was up in the count or down in the count, he was going to throw a slider no matter what. When I was up there, I was sitting dead-slider, and he got me on one of them. I swung through it, and I was like ‘Alright, I need to relax, let it get deep’, and I put a good swing on it.”


“I think the biggest thing is laying off of bad pitches. If you chase a certain pitch, the pitcher is just going to keep throwing it. If you lay off the sliders in the dirt, curveballs in the dirt, then the pitcher is going to give in and give you what you want, which is a fastball. I’ve really started to learn that, and I’m just going up there and learning and competing in every at-bat.”


“It feels great (winning three straight games). We’ve got to keep it going into the playoffs. We’ve got to keep building the momentum and just continue to take it one day at a time and hopefully we can take a (win) tomorrow.”


“I think the biggest thing for us is just trying to finish strong. The season is coming to an end and we just want to go out there and finish strong. A lot of our guys have stepped it up, I’ve stepped it up, and it’s a perfect time going into the playoffs.”


“It sure was tough (falling behind late), but the thing is, in baseball anything can happen. You can’t ever give up. The game is not over until we get the last out, so we always have a chance to win, and sure enough tonight we won. That just proves that we can do it no matter what.”

www.bluerocks.com


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[dawrestling]

-------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Selheimer, Scott W. <selheime@udel.edu>
Date: Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 4:58 PM
Subject: UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE ATHLETICS BREAKING NEWS August 28, 2015
To:


UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE ATHLETICS BREAKING NEWS – August 28, 2015
To read all the Blue Hens athletics news, visit www.bluehens.com
FIELD HOCKEY: Delaware Routs Central Michigan, 10-3, in Season Opener
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (Aug. 28) – The University of Delaware field hockey squad came out of the gates blazing and defeated Central Michigan, 10-3, Friday afternoon to open the 2015 season. FULL STORY


WOMEN'S SOCCER: Delaware Suffers First Setback of Season, Falls to Richmond 4-0 at UVa. Nike Soccer Classic
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Aug. 28) -- The University of Delaware women’s soccer squad could not overcome a big second half by the University of Richmond Friday afternoon as the Blue Hens dropped a 4-0 decision to the Spiders in the opening round of the Nike Soccer Classic hosted by the University of Virginia at Klockner Stadium. FULL STORY

MEN'S SOCCER: Delaware Men Open Season Friday Night at Home vs. Central Arkansas
NEWARK, Del. (Aug. 28) -- The University of Delaware men's soccer team opens its season Friday night at 7 pm at home vs. Central Arkansas. Click HERE for results at the conclusion of the game.

VOLLEYBALL: Delaware Volleyball Falls To Southern Illinois on First Day of UCF Invitational
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 28) -- The University of Delaware volleyball team opened its 2015 season in heartbreaking fashion Friday morning as the Blue Hens dropped a 3-2 decision to Southern Illinois during the first match of the UCF Invitational. Delaware takes on host Central Florida later Friday at 7 p.m. FULL STORY

FOOTBALL: Delaware Teaming with Sunday Breakfast Mission for Food Donations at Season Opener Sept. 4
NEWARK, Del. (Aug. 28) -- The University of Delaware football program and the Sunday Breakfast Mission in Wilmington have forged a strong bond over the last few years as numerous Blue Hen student-athletes have volunteered their time to serve meals to the homeless and perform much-needed work around the facility. FULL STORY
MEN'S BASKETBALL: University of Delaware Announces 2015-16 Men’s Basketball Schedule
NEWARK, Del. (Aug. 27) -- The University of Delaware men’s basketball team will face 10 squads that qualified for the postseason a year ago as the Blue Hens announced their challenging 2015-16 schedule on Tuesday. FULL STORY
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Aug. 28
Men's Soccer vs. Central Arkansas, 7 pm
Volleyball at Central Florida, 7 pm
Saturday, Aug. 29
Volleyball vs. Northern Colorado (Central Florida Tournament), 4:30 pm

Home Events in Bold

University of Delaware Athletics Media Relations
Bob Carpenter Center
631 South College Avenue
Newark, Del. 19716
Phone: (302) 831-8007
athletics@udel.edu
www.bluehens.com

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 1, 2015 at 7:35 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Rocks Drop First Game of Final Home Stand of Regular Season to Dash
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Rocks Drop First Game of Final Home Stand of Regular Season to Dash
Wilmington yields 14 hits in loss to Winston-Salem


WILMINGTON, Del. – The Blue Rocks struck first on Tuesday against Winston-Salem, but a steady offensive attack by the Dash from the second inning on was too much for Wilmington to overcome, as the Rocks lost 7-3 at Frawley Stadium. Humberto Arteaga produced a season-high four hits, including two doubles and a pair of RBIs to spark Wilmington’s offense, while Omar Narvaez led the charge for Winston-Salem with four hits and two RBIs of his own.


Mauricio Ramos got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with a single that plated Arteaga, but the Dash put together three straight innings in which they scored a pair of runs. Tyler Williams produced a two-run single in the top of the second, while two more scored in the third when Narvaez and Michael Danner each collected RBI base hits. The top of the fourth saw Narvaez come away with another RBI single, with an additional score crossing on the play thanks to an error by Logan Moon.


The Rocks got a pair in the bottom of the third when Arteaga smacked his second two-bagger of the evening, a hit that scored both Moon and Jack Lopez, but that would be the final time Wilmington would crack the scoreboard. Winston-Salem added one more run in the top of the sixth on Nolan Earley’s RBI base hit, capping the scoring at 7-3.


The win on Tuesday went to James Dykstra, who pitched five shutout innings out of the bullpen for the Dash. The righty gave up six hits and struck out two. Pedro Fernandez was saddled with his fifth loss with the Blue Rocks this year. Fernandez could only last 4.1 frames on Tuesday, allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and four walks, striking out two in the process.


The Rocks and Dash continue their three-game series on Wednesday at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


Tuesday turned into a career-night for Humberto Arteaga. The Wilmington shortstop collected four hits against the Dash, his first four-hit game since August 21, 2013 as a member of the Idaho Falls Chukars. Arteaga has been swinging a good bat lately, as his four-hit effort on Tuesday gave him a modest three-game hitting streak. Over his last trio of contests, the Venezuelan native has gone 7-for-13 with three doubles and three RBIs. Arteaga entered the Royals system as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2010. He began 2015 with the Low-A Lexington Legends, where he hit .259 in 70 games.


Pedro Fernandez continued to struggle at the Advanced-A level on Tuesday. Since getting the call to the Carolina League in late July, the Dominican native has pitched to a record of 0-5 and an ERA of 9.43 in six games with the Rocks. The only start that Fernandez has made that has not resulted in a loss came on August 19 at Potomac. The righty pitched six frames that day, allowing five earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts for the no-decision. The last time Fernandez picked up a win was during his July 22 start as a member of the Low-A Lexington Legends. Against Rome that day, the righty hurled 6.2 innings, yielding only one unearned run while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Fernandez was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Royals as a 16-year-old in 2011.


After enduring a brutal stretch from late July to late August, Santiago Nessy looks to have turned the corner. In 11 games that spanned from July 29 to August 23, the Venezuelan native was unable to record a single hit, going 0-for-31 over the length of the streak. He saw his average plummet from .262 to .203 as a result of his struggles at the dish. Nessy finally broke his hitless stretch with a knock against Myrtle Beach on August 27, going 1-for-4 in the game. With a double on Tuesday against the Dash, the catcher has now collected hits in back-to-back contests for the first time since his season-high seven game hitting streak which lasted from July 8 to July 19. Nessy came to the Royals organization in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays a day after Game Seven of the 2014 World Series.


The Rocks have grown accustomed to seeing Southern Division opponents on the schedule recently. Wilmington will play their final 17 games of the regular season against CL South foes. Their last contest against a Northern Division opponent took place on August 19 against Potomac, when the Blue Crew took a 7-6 victory. The Blue Rocks were supposed to matchup with the Nats on August 20, but rain at Frawley Stadium cancelled the finale with Potomac. During this 17-game Southern Division trek, Wilmington is currently 4-6 against a combination of Salem, Carolina, Myrtle Beach, and Winston-Salem. After Tuesday, the Rocks see the Dash two more times before closing their regular season with five against the Pelicans. The next time the Blue Crew sees a Northern Division team will be in the playoffs.


THEY SAID IT:


Manager Brian Buchanan:


“(Pedro Fernandez) wasn’t locating his fastball and was leaving pitches up. He couldn’t get his off-speed over and it is going to be a long night when you cannot locate your fastball and get your breaking (pitches) over (the strike zone.)”


“(Humberto Arteaga is doing well) with pitch selection. He has been getting better pitches to hit and putting good swings at them.”


“We have had solid defense the whole year but obviously we cannot (have three errors) in the playoffs. I am not overly-concerned about it.”


“Probably the last series or few games I will put (players) where they will be during the postseason. They want the middle infielders to play both and the outfielders to play around but during the end of the year we will probably put them where they will be playing.”


“During the double-header we are trying to line up some pitching but I told the guys (on Tuesday) that we are going to start doing things a little different. It is not going to be overly-different but maybe pitching (players) back-to-back days. We still have to cover games with the double-headers.”


“Our first game of the playoffs will be away, so being home for a week and having that day off before they start (will be nice). We play well at home so it is always nice to (have) home games.”

www.bluerocks.com

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[dawrestling]

ate: Wed, Sep 2, 2015 at 7:28 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Junis Fires Gem, But Rocks Fall in Extras to Winston-Salem
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Junis Fires Gem, But Rocks Fall in Extras to Winston-Salem
Wilmington drops 10th extra-inning contest of season


WILMINGTON, Del. – The Rocks could not cash in on Jakob Junis’s strong start on Wednesday night, as they fell to Winston-Salem by a score of 2-1 in 11 innings. Logan Moon drove in the lone score of the evening for the Blue Crew, while Carlos Garcia reached base a team-high three times. Wilmington has now dropped the first two contests of this three-game set.


Junis was able to last 6.1 innings on Wednesday. He allowed only a single run on six hits with eight strikeouts. Although Junis did not get saddled with the loss, the righty was not rewarded with a victory either, making him winless in his last eight starts.


For the second night in a row, the Rocks jumped on the board first. In the bottom of the second inning, Cam Gallagher led off with a walk and eventually worked his way to third base with one out. Moon chased the catcher home with a sacrifice fly to open the scoring on Wednesday. Dash starter Spencer Adams limited the damage to just that lone tally, and the Rocks led 1-0 after two.


After being held silent through the first five innings of Wednesday’s contest, Winston-Salem tied the game with a run in the sixth. Eddy Alvarez began the sixth with a triple off of Junis. The Dash did not waste any time getting Alvarez home, as the next man up, Jake Peter, followed in Moon’s footsteps and delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Alvarez and knotted the game at one. Neither team could push across any more runs through regulation, and the contest headed to extra innings.


In the top of the 11th inning, Evan Beal retired the first two men to face him, but a walk to Nolan Earley and a single by Michael Danner put runners on the corners with two down. Adam Engel would be next, and he cast the decisive blow with a base hit that scored Earley. The Rocks could not score in the bottom of the frame, and the Dash held on for the 2-1 win.


The Rocks and Dash meet for the final time in the regular season on Thursday at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM. For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


Logan Moon turned in a productive night on both sides of the ball on Wednesday. In the second inning, the Blue Springs, Missouri native contributed a run-scoring sacrifice fly that plated the only Wilmington run of the night. In the very next inning, Moon gunned down Michael Danner as he tried to score from second base on a single from Jake Peter. The outfield assist was his 12th of the season. Seven of those assists have come with Moon playing left field, with two more produced as a center fielder, and now three from right field. Moon has now recorded 12 of Wilmington’s 26 total outfield assists this season. Dominique Taylor is a distant second on the club with four outfield assists.


It has been a while since Jakob Junis last experienced a win, and although the righty delivered a strong start on Wednesday, the wait will extend at least one more outing. Junis delivered 6.1 innings of one-run ball against the Dash, scattering six hits while walking one and tying a season-high with eight strikeouts. The Rock Falls, Illinois native last produced a win on July 17 against Frederick. That start was the final one before Junis left the team briefly to witness the birth of his twin children. Since returning to the club, Junis has lost five games and recorded a no-decision in three, pitching to a 4.82 ERA over that span. Junis entered the Royals system as a 29th-round pick in the 2011 draft out of Rock Falls High School in Illinois.


Wednesday marked the 16th extra-inning game of the season for the Blue Rocks. As a result of Wilmington’s loss, the Rocks fell to 6-10 this season in contests that stretch past the traditional nine innings. The Blue Crew had lost their two most recent extra-inning affairs, dropping a 4-3 game in 10 innings against Carolina on August 13, and losing 1-0 in 12 frames at Myrtle Beach on August 29. The last time the Blue Rocks came away with a win in a contest that lasted past nine innings was a 2-1, 12-frame battle on August 11, also against Carolina. That victory was the win that snapped Wilmington’s franchise record 14-game losing streak. Their longest contest innings-wise this season came on Independence Day at Potomac. The game was suspended during extras thanks to heavy fog in the area, but eventually ran for 14 frames, with the Rocks losing 3-2.


The Rocks have grown accustomed to seeing Southern Division opponents on the schedule recently. Wilmington will play their final 17 games of the regular season against CL South foes. Their last contest against a Northern Division opponent took place on August 19 against Potomac, when the Blue Crew took a 7-6 victory. The Blue Rocks were supposed to matchup with the Nats on August 20, but rain at Frawley Stadium cancelled the finale with Potomac. During this 17-game Southern Division trek, Wilmington is currently 4-7 against a combination of Salem, Carolina, Myrtle Beach, and Winston-Salem. After Wednesday, the Rocks see the Dash one more time before closing their regular season with five against the Pelicans. The next time the Blue Crew sees a Northern Division team will be in the playoffs against the Lynchburg Hillcats.


THEY SAID IT:


Pitcher Jakob Junis:


“I threw a lot of strikes and I was getting ahead in the count. My finish pitches were working. I had some strikeouts, and I got out of trouble when some guys were on base.”


“I wouldn’t say (any of my pitches) were better than usual, I just had them all working. My curveball was good, my changeup was good, and I was throwing them for strikes. I was locating my fastball, and just having all three of those working helped.”


“I just kept throwing my game (despite the close score) trying to put up zeroes and trying to get the win.”


(I’m) not really (changing anything with the playoffs coming soon). Whenever it’s my turn to pitch, I’m still going out there trying to put up zeroes and trying to win games. I don’t know what’s going to happen these next couple of days with the rotation…but as of now, I’ll keep going out there when it’s my turn and throw the best I can.”

www.bluerocks.com

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[dawrestling]

------- Forwarded message ----------
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 3, 2015 at 7:43 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Rocks Shut Down as Dash Complete Sweep at Frawley Stadium
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Rocks Shut Down as Dash Complete Sweep at Frawley Stadium
Wilmington held scoreless in final regular season game between squads


WILMINGTON, Del. – The Wilmington offense could not get anything going on Thursday, falling to Winston-Salem 5-0. Thanks to the victory, the Dash were able to complete the three-game sweep of the Rocks, marking the sixth time this year the Blue Crew failed to win a game in a set. The Blue Rocks finish their season series against Winston-Salem with an overall record of 6-11.


The Dash cracked the scoreboard first against Wilmington starter Alec Mills in the top of the third. T.J. Williams began the frame with a single, but Mills retired the next two men. After another single from Jake Peter, Trey Michalczewski drove Williams home with a base hit, giving Winston-Salem a 1-0 lead.


After Mills allowed another run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning, Winston-Salem plated two more in the sixth off of Matt Alvarez. The inning began with a walk to Keon Barnum and a double produced by Nick Basto. Nolan Earley brought the first score of the frame home with a single, then Brett Austin followed with a run-scoring ground out, making it 4-0 Dash.


Winston-Salem completed their offensive barrage in the eighth inning, courtesy of a lead-off homer from Barnum off of Estarlin Cordero. The long ball was his ninth of the season, and it capped the scoring at 5-0.


The Rocks begin their final series of the regular season on Friday when they welcome the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to town. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM. For tickets, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


Thanks to their scoreless effort on Thursday, the Blue Rocks were shutout for the 19th time this season. That total is far and away the most in the Carolina League in 2015, with the next closest team in that category being the Carolina Mudcats, who have been held off the scoreboard in 13 contests this year. The Rocks also have the league’s worst winning percentage in shutouts, coming in at .321 (9-19) on the season. Their most recent shutout defeat came at the hands of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on August 29, a game the Blue Crew lost 1-0 in 12 innings. To find the last time Wilmington was on the winning end of a shutout, you have to go back to August 26 when the Blue Rocks topped Carolina 5-0.


The Rocks have grown accustomed to seeing Southern Division opponents on the schedule recently. Wilmington will play their final 17 games of the regular season against CL South foes. Their last contest against a Northern Division opponent took place on August 19 against Potomac, when the Blue Crew took a 7-6 victory. The Blue Rocks were supposed to matchup with the Nats on August 20, but rain at Frawley Stadium cancelled the finale with Potomac. During this 17-game Southern Division trek, Wilmington is currently 4-8 against a combination of Salem, Carolina, Myrtle Beach, and Winston-Salem. Beginning Friday, the Rocks close their regular season with five games against the Pelicans. The next time the Blue Crew sees a Northern Division team will be in the playoffs against the Lynchburg Hillcats.


With two more hits on Thursday night, Logan Moon concluded a successful series against Winston-Salem. Over the three games against the Dash, Moon went 4-for-10 (.400) with one RBI and a run scored. The Blue Springs, Missouri native drove in the lone run Wilmington pushed across in game two of the series on Wednesday with a sacrifice fly. Moon’s exploits in the series were not limited to his bat, however. The outfielder gunned down Michael Danner as he tried to score from second base on a single from Jake Peter on Wednesday. The outfield assist was his 12th of the season. Seven of those assists have come with Moon playing left field, with two more produced as a center fielder, and three from right field. Moon has now recorded 12 of Wilmington’s 26 total outfield assists this season. Dominique Taylor is a distant second on the club with four outfield assists.


Cam Gallagher collected a pair of hits on Thursday, continuing his recent success at the plate. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania native has now produced hits in 11 of his last 13 games played, including six multi-hit efforts. That stretch has also seen Gallagher record two separate five-game hitting streaks, both being the longest hit streaks of his season. The catcher has pounded out one homer, five doubles, and four RBIs to go along with seven runs scored during his recent hot stretch. He has his average up to .248 after Thursday with five home runs and 23 RBIs on the season. Gallagher was a second round pick by the Royals in the 2011 draft, coming out of Manheim Township High School.


THEY SAID IT:


Catcher Cam Gallagher:


“Earlier in the year I had a couple injuries and I left for about two-and-a-half weeks for the Pan-Am Games, so it’s kind of hard to get in a groove when you are battling injuries and leaving. Just getting consistent at-bats and working with (Hitting Coach Abraham Nunez) and everything like that in the cage and trying to work on stuff has been paying off a little bit. I feel more comfortable in the box.”


“I came back (from the Pan-Am Games), and three of our starters (that were on the team when I left) were gone. It’s always a little difficult having to learn new guys and their pitches…but I’ve known all these guys since Spring Training and Instructional League and stuff like that so it wasn’t too tough. It is always tough losing guys like (Sean) Manaea and (Cody) Reed and guys like that. It’s always tough to fill in those shows, but these guys have done a good job.”


“I remember when I was in Lexington with (Alec Mills) before he had his Tommy John surgery. He took off and became a starter. He was throwing mid to high 90’s and got hurt. It’s always a shame to see someone go down like that. What he was doing at the beginning of the year, it was tough to see him go down again just because he was in such a groove…His first outing was a little shaky at Potomac. He gave up a couple runs, but his first outing back, that’s to be kind of expected. He’s getting back to his original groove and hopefully he can get us a couple wins in the playoffs.”

www.bluerocks.com

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[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 4, 2015 at 7:02 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Markey On The Mark As Rocks Fall To Pelicans
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Markey On The Mark As Rocks Fall To Pelicans
Brad Markey Went Seven Solid Frames On The Way To Wilmington’s 20th Shutout In 2015


WILMINGTON, Del. – A spectacular outing from Myrtle Beach starter Brad Markey led the Wilmington Blue Rocks to their fifth straight loss, a 4-0 final at Frawley Stadium on Friday night. Friday was also the second consecutive shutout suffered by the Blue Crew who have been held scoreless by opponents 20 times in 2015. Wilmington did not find their first base runner against Markey until the fifth inning.


Friday’s game was a pitcher’s duel between Markey and Matthew Strahm as the game remained scoreless through three frames before the Pelicans jumped out in front in the fourth. After striking out two batters in each of his first three frames, Strahm walked Cael Brockmeyer to start off the inning. Strahm made a good pitch to saw-off Jacob Rogers forcing a weakly hit groundout that moved Brockmeyer up to second base with one out. The left-hander Strahm looked like he might find his way out of the inning after a pop out of Jeffrey Baez, but Jason Vosler came up with the clutch hit and produced an RBI single into center to make it 1-0 Myrtle Beach. The hit landed just out of the reach of Logan Moon in centerfield.


The Pelicans gave Markey more insurance in the fifth thanks to another leadoff base runner. Instead of a walk, Strahm plunked Daniel Lockhart with a curveball to put the speedy second baseman on with no outs. After a groundout put Lockhart on second, it was Ben Carhart coming up with the clutch knock. Carhart took a two-strike fastball and lined it into left with two outs to plate Lockhart with the second run of the game for Myrtle Beach.


Wilmington had their only real opportunity against Markey in the sixth when back-to-back singles from Santiago Nessy and Moon put runners on the corners with just one out. The dangerous Carlos Garcia came to the plate and offered at the first pitch. The second baseman got the barrel on the ball, but he lined it right at the first baseman Rogers who was able to step on the bag at first to double-off Moon and get his hurler out of the jam unscathed.


All told, Markey faced 22 batters, facing just one over the minimum through seven frames. He struck out six on the way to his seventh win of the season at Advanced-A. He has won all seven of his decisions with the Pelicans.


Wilmington and Myrtle Beach will continue their series with a couple of games on Saturday. First, the Rocks and Pelicans will make up for a rainout down on the Grand Strand back on August 30. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. as the Blue Crew turns to Zach Lovvorn. Lovvorn has been one of the most solid starters for Wilmington in the second-half. He is now 4-4 with a 3.73 ERA. The Pelicans counter with Jen-Ho Tseng who is 6-7 with a 3.55 ERA. While Myrtle Beach has not announced a starter for the second game, the Rocks will turn to Ashton Goudeau who is 5-4 with a 3.43 ERA splitting time between the starting rotation and the bullpen at Advanced-A. First pitch for game two will be about a half-hour after the final out of game one.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


With a loss on Friday, the Blue Rocks have now lost six consecutive home games, the longest stretch without a win at Frawley Stadium this season. Wilmington eclipsed their previous longest home-losing skid of five games, which took place from July 26 to August 2 against a combination of the Lynchburg Hillcats and the Carolina Mudcats. That losing skid was part of the larger franchise-record 14-game losing streak which started with that July 26 contest against the Hillcats and lasted until the Rocks lost to Lynchburg again on August 9 by a score 7-4. Wilmington has not won a game on the riverfront since August 21 when they topped the Salem Red Sox in the opener of a three-game set by a score of 7-5.


After going nearly a month without a hit, Santiago Nessy has started to come alive at the plate. The Venezuelan-native was mired in an 0-for-31 slump, spanning 11 games, before breaking out of it with a single Myrtle Beach on August 27. Since then, he has gotten hits in two more contests to bring his hitting streak to three games. Nessy is certainly hoping he can produce more down the stretch than he did in the month of August. The former international signing by the Blue Jays batted 0.31 in August, compiling just one hit in 32 at-bats while driving in just one run and striking out 14 times. That came off of the catcher’s best month with Wilmington. He batted .297 (11-for-37) in July with seven extra-base hits and six walks. On Friday Nessy followed up a couple of 1-for-4 performances with a 1-for-3 night, which included a ninth inning leadoff walk. He is now batting … since coming down from Double-A Northwest Arkansas after he was traded to Kansas City the day after the Royals lost in Game Seven of the World Series.


THEY SAID IT:


Manager Brian Buchanan:


“That was one of the best pitching performances we’ve seen all year (from Brad Markey). He kept the ball down and he kept it down the whole game. He threw his slider for strikes. You’ve got to tip your hat, he pitched an outstanding game.”


“When you’ve got those guys (on the mound) you’ve got to battle and scrap for whatever you get. We had a chance there in the sixth with first and third and (Carlos) Garcia hit that bullet to first base, it was a double play and we’re out of the inning.”


“(Matthew Strahm) threw the ball well. He’s got an over-powering fastball and he was throwing some good breaking balls. He threw the ball well and so did (Yender) Caramo.”


“He was throwing the ball well, then he walked a guy and a hit-by-pitch and they both ended up scoring. That just tells you if you get the leadoff guy out their chances go way down of them scoring. Getting the first guy of the inning is huge.”


“Two-out RBIs always hurt you. Every RBI hurts you. It was one of those games where you’ve got to get their starter out of the game and hurt his pitch count.”


Catcher Santiago Nessy:


“Oh yeah (I’m seeing the ball better). It’s a long year. You’ve just got to be working hard and be prepared for any chances that you may get and take advantage of them.”


“Yes, of course (I wish I started streaking sooner). You always want to put up good numbers, but it’s the end of the season and they still count. You’ve got to take advantage of (your opportunities) and always be prepared. Never give-up and waste at-bats.”


“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Everybody is tired. We’re tired and the other team tired so you can’t say, ‘I’m tired, I’m going to give-up.’ You’ve got to give your best.”


“(Matthew Strahm) is a very good pitcher. He was commanding his fastball. His curveball was a little bit off the plate sometimes but that’s going to happen. The first run, (Logan) Moon tried to make a play and he dropped it, that’s going to happen. The hit-by-pitch, I think he was trying to make a perfect pitch and that happened.”

www.bluerocks.com



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[dawrestling]

rom: via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Sat, Sep 5, 2015 at 7:35 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Rocks Split Double-Header with Pelicans on Final Saturday of Regular Season
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Rocks Split Double-Header with Pelicans on Final Saturday of Regular Season
Goudeau helps Wilmington avoid sweep in twin-bill


WILMINGTON, Del. – The Blue Rocks played a pair of contests against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Saturday, losing the front end of the double-header 4-2 before taking the nightcap 6-2. Ashton Goudeau made the spot-start in game two, getting the win and helping the Blue Crew end their six-game losing streak. Humberto Arteaga picked up two hits and three RBIs in the victory.


In game one, Myrtle Beach broke onto the scoreboard very early by plating a run in the top of the first. Pin-Chieh Chen delivered a one-out double, and eventually came home on Jason Vosler’s single. Wilmington starter Zach Lovvorn settled down to escape the inning unscathed after that.


The Rocks provided a quick response, taking the lead in the bottom of the frame. Carlos Garcia and Jack Lopez set the table with a walk and a bunt single respectively to lead off the inning. The next man up, Mauricio Ramos, crushed a double to the left-field wall that scored both men, handing Wilmington a 2-1 lead at the end of the first.


The Pelicans came all the way back and then some in the decisive fifth inning. Daniel Lockhart got the offense started in the frame with a run-scoring double, and Vosler gave the Pelicans the lead with a two-RBI single later on. The Rocks were held scoreless the rest of the way, and Wilmington fell 4-2 in game one.


The back-end of the double-header was a different story, as Goudeau took matters into his own hands. Goudeau gave the Blue Rocks six innings, yielding only two runs (one earned) on two hits and a pair of walks while striking out six. His offense came to his support with a four-run bottom of the second inning. Arteaga got Wilmington on the board with a two-RBI infield single, then two batters later, Logan Moon delivered a pair of runs with a base hit of his own.


Although Myrtle Beach got two back in the fourth courtesy of a Ben Carhart two-run homer, the Rocks scratched across more later in the ballgame. Lopez squeeze-bunted Alfredo Escalera home in the fourth, and Arteaga cracked a double that chased Ryan O’Hearn to the plate in the fifth, capping the scoring at 6-2.


The Rocks and Pelicans do battle once again on Sunday. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is scheduled for 1:35 p.m., and fans can listen to the broadcast on 89.7 WGLS-FM.


PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:


The Blue Rocks will be playing postseason baseball this fall, but you wouldn’t know it going by their second-half record. After Saturday’s split of a double-header, Wilmington has recorded 44 losses since the All-Star break. The previous franchise-high in terms of defeats in a single half was 42, which was done in the second half of the 1997 campaign. Thanks in large part to their 38 first-half victories, Wilmington cannot reach 80 losses this year, which is the franchise-record for defeats in an entire season set by the 2005 squad. The Rocks have also lost the most road games in a single season, however, logging 44 setbacks away from Frawley Stadium in 2015. That mark eclipses the 43 losses recorded by the Rocks in both 2005 and 2011.


Ashton Goudeau gave Wilmington a much-needed quality start on Saturday. In game two of the twin-bill, the righty produced six innings, yielding two runs (one earned) on just two hits and two walks while striking out six. It was also his first win since his July 22 start at Salem. The last time Goudeau hit the bump prior to the nightcap of Saturday’s double-header was on August 29, another game against the Pelicans. Goudeau gave the Rocks 3.2 frames that night, but gave up the walk-off homer to Jason Vosler in the bottom of the 12th to complete a 1-0 Wilmington loss. The Newport, Arkansas native made just the ninth professional start of his career on Saturday, with five now coming with Wilmington this season. Goudeau was a 27th round pick in the 2012 draft by the Kansas City Royals.


After going nearly a month without a hit, Santiago Nessy has started to come alive at the plate. The Venezuelan-native was mired in a 0-for-31 slump which spanned 11 games before breaking out of it with a single Myrtle Beach on August 27. Since then, he has gotten hits in three more contests to bring his hitting streak to four games. Nessy is certainly hoping he can produce more down the stretch than he did in the month of August. The former international signing by the Blue Jays batted .031 in August, compiling just one hit in 32 at-bats while driving in just one run and striking out 14 times. That came off of the catcher’s best month with Wilmington. He batted .297 (11-for-37) in July with seven extra-base hits and six walks. On Saturday, Nessy played game two of the double-header and went 2-for-3 with a run scored. He is now batting .219 since coming down from Double-A Northwest Arkansas after he was traded to Kansas City the day after the Royals lost in Game Seven of the World Series.


THEY SAID IT:


Pitcher Zach Lovvorn:


“I felt like I was commanding all my pitches and throwing them all for strikes and had a really good rhythm going.”


“(I) go out there every time trying to repeat the pitches and get ahead of the batters, so going out there and attacking hitters and getting ahead on the count.”


“I don’t think anything changed (in my pitching) it was getting latter in the game and into the dog days of the season so I am just trying to grind it out and make pitches.”


“Every time (we pitch) we are (working on something) all the time. For me it was just to settle in my delivery, every pitch, every game.”


“This was probably my third or fourth time (pitching a shortened game) and it is just like any other game just shorter.”


“I do not have (any postseason experience.) I have been in the organization for four years and never have had a chance to play in a post season game so I am pretty excited about it.”

www.bluerocks.com

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[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: via RocksMedia<rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 3:30 PM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Lopez Provides Offense as Rocks Top Pelicans in Final Game of Regular Season
To: RocksMedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Lopez Provides Offense as Rocks Top Pelicans in Final Game of Regular Season
Game Story by Blue Rocks Junior Reporter Matthew Luca


WILMINGTON, Del. – The Blue Rocks finished the regular season on a high note on Monday, as they beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Frawley Stadium. The Pelicans scored early but couldn’t hold on as they fell 5-4. Jack Lopez led the team offensively with a three-run double, which proved to be the deciding factor.


The Rocks did all their damage in the bottom of the second. Down 1-0, Elier Hernandez started with a one-out single to center. Santiago Nessy followed with a single, and then Humberto Arteaga was hit by a pitch from Pelicans starter Tyler Skulina. Dominique Taylor was then walked to tie the game at one. Carlos Garcia followed by reaching on an error to give the Rocks a 2-1 lead. Then Lopez delivered the big blow with a double to the gap in left, which scored all the runners and put the Blue Crew ahead 5-1.


“(I was) just looking for something up in the zone,” Lopez explained. “They were throwing a lot of off-speed early in the game and I was just looking for something slow up in the zone and I was able to get it and drive it.”


The Pelicans scored the first run of the game in the top of the first. Pin-Chieh Chen reached on a one-out single. Mark Zagunis followed with a single to center. This brought home Chen who had moved to second on a passed ball. Blue Rocks starter Jacob Junis then settled in and did not allow a hit until the fifth.


“That’s not how you want to start a game,” Junis said, “but after going out there the next inning and getting a zero, easing a little bit of the stress, get another zero, ease a little bit more of the stress.”


It was Chesny Young who ended up breaking Junis’s hitless streak, as he reached on a one-out infield single. Chen then connected on a 1-2 pitch for a two-run home run. This cut the Rocks lead to 5-3. Junis was then able to retire the next two hitters he to end the sixth. His day was done after five, however, as he threw a total of 96 pitches. In his five innings he struck out two, walked three, and gave up four hits. The righty’s effort ended up being good enough for his first win since July 17.


“It was a long time coming for sure,” Junis said with a laugh. “It was a good way to end the season. It’s been a long year. I Started the first game and the last game and it’s nice to go out with a win.”


The Blue Rocks then brought in Matt Alvarez relieve Junis. Alvarez threw two shutout innings with two strikeouts, but the righty ran into trouble in the eighth. Alvarez walked the leadoff man, Zagunis. Ben Carhart then grounded out to move Zagunis to second. Alvarez struck out the next man he faced, but was then pulled to align a lefty-lefty matchup as the Rocks brought in Estarlin Cordero. The move did not pay off, however, as Jacob Rogers singled to bring home Zagunis and make the score 5-4.


The Pelicans would make a bid to tie the game in the ninth as Cordero gave up a leadoff double to Shawon Dunston. Cordero then retired three straight to close out the last game of the Blue Crew’s regular season.


“We pitched ok, I think Junis just ran out of gas late,” manager Brian Buchanan said, “but Alvarez, Cordero came in, did a nice job, and that second inning we got enough runs that we could hold on.”



On Wednesday the Blue Rocks will play in the postseason for the first time since 2012. They will face the Hillcats in Lynchburg for the first game of the best-of-three series. The other two will be played at Frawley Stadium. Buchanan has said that he will start right-hander Alec Mills for the first game. The righty, who was named to the 2015 Carolina League All-Star game, is 7-7 with a 3.02 ERA.

www.bluerocks.com


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[dawrestling]

-------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jackson Baird via RocksMedia <rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 5:51 AM
Subject: [Rocks Media] Wilmington Blue Rocks 2015 Season in Review
To: rocksmedia@lists.skiltech.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015


CONTACT: MATT JANUS 302-888-5393

Wilmington Blue Rocks 2015 Season in Review
Rocks postseason-bound after wild regular season


WILMINGTON, Del. –The 2015 campaign was a wild ride for the Wilmington Blue Rocks from the word go. Over the course of the 140-game Carolina League season (which turned into 139 for the Rocks thanks to a rainout), the Blue Crew set numerous franchise records, some bad and some good. Wilmington will be playing playoff baseball for the first time since 2012 as a result of their efforts this year, as they are set to take on the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Northern Division Championship Series beginning on September 9. If the postseason is as eventful as the regular campaign, the Blue Rocks will experience a crazy end to their 2015 season.


Thanks to a 38-32 record in the first half, Wilmington was able to claim the CL North first-half title and the playoff bid that comes with it. The Rocks made the postseason dance for the first time since 2012 when they took the Northern Division crown in the season's second half. The last time Wilmington took the division in the first half was back in 2006 as an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. That team included future major leaguers such as Michael Bowden, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Tommy Hottovy, Jed Lowrie, Justin Masterson, Luis Mendoza, and Carlos Rosa. In the game that clinched the first-half for the Rocks that year, Wilmington sealed the deal on a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the bottom of the ninth, with Ellsbury scoring the game-winning run. The last time the Blue Crew won a first-half crown as an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals was back in 2002, when the Rocks won both halves.


The Rocks enjoyed contributions from many players in their first half, including four Carolina League Mid-Season All-Stars. Pitchers Alec Mills, Cody Reed, and Eric Skoglund, as well as infielder Ramon Torres,were selected to play in the Carolina League/California League All-Star game in Rancho Cucamonga, California in June. Mills has been with the Rocks all season long, although he spend about a month on the disabled list. The righty recorded a 7-7 record with a 3.02 ERA in 21 games this season. Reed produced a 5-5 record with a 2.14 ERA in 13 games (10 starts) on the riverfront. He earned a promotion to Double-A after the All-Star game, and has since been traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Skoglund went 6-3 with a 3.52 ERA over 15 games with the Rocks, but has been on the DL since early July. Torres played 71 contests with the Blue Crew, hitting .257 with 29 runs scored. The infielder got the call to Double-A in early July.


The triple play is one of the rarest happenings in baseball, but apparently nobody told that to the Blue Rocks. Wilmington turned a staggering three triple plays in 2015, by far the most in a single season in franchise history. The first time the Blue Crew turned three this year was on April 19 in a game against Frederick at Frawley Stadium. They next time they turned three was on June 9 at Winston-Salem. On August 4, Wilmington spun its third triple play of the season down in Myrtle Beach. Perhaps most amazing is the fact that the team turned four triple plays in a 373-day span, with another tri-killing coming on July 27, 2014 against the Dash on the riverfront. Prior to that stretch, Wilmington had retired three on the same play only twice in the previous 16 seasons.


Although the first half of 2015 treated Wilmington well, the second half was not as kind. The Rocks lost 45 games after the All-Star break, the most defeats in a single half in franchise history. The previous franchise-high in terms of losses in a half was 42, which was done in the second half of the 1997 campaign. Thanks in large part to their 38 first-half victories, Wilmington did not reach 80 losses this year, which is the franchise record for defeats in an entire season set by the 2005 squad. The Rocks lost the most road games in a single season, however, logging 44 setbacks away from Frawley Stadium in 2015. That mark eclipsed the 43 losses recorded by the Rocks in both 2005 and 2011.

The Blue Rocks’ second half struggles reached their peak when the squad rattled off a 14-game losing streak. The skid was the longest in franchise history, as it surpassed the previous high of 10 which the Rocks had done twice (the most recent such losing streak lasted from May 27 to June 4 of 2000). The 14-game dry spell began on July 26 with a 2-0 loss to Lynchburg, and ended when the Rocks topped Carolina 2-1 in 12 innings on August 11. The Blue Crew lost five times to Lynchburg, and three times each to Winston-Salem, Carolina, and Myrtle Beach during the streak. Over those 14 games, Wilmington batted .225 (97-for-432), scoring just 28 times in those 14 losses.


On the stranger side of things, the 2015 season certainly had its fair share of scheduling quirks that the Blue Rocks had to endure. Wilmington’s first four home stands of the season lasted seven games apiece, with the final one of that stretch spanning from May 19 to May 25. After that home stand, the Blue Crew did not spend more than a single series at home until a six-game home stand from August 18 to August 23. In between, Wilmington hosted nine home stands that lasted one series each. Meanwhile, The Rocks played the Pelicans seven times in the opening month of the season, including four games at Myrtle Beach and three more at Frawley Stadium. After the series on the riverfront from April 28 to April 30, the Blue Crew had to wait three full months before they battled the Birds again, with their next matchup taking place in a three-game series that began on August 4. Speaking of teams Wilmington didn’t see too often, the Rocks did not play a game against Salem until June 12. Incredibly, the schedule called for three games in Salem before three more in Wilmington, meaning the two squads clashed six times in six days. Finally, the Blue Rocks took on Potomac on August 19, marking the last time the Rocks saw a Northern Division foe in the regular season. Wilmington played the final 17 contests of the regular season against Southern Division squads.


In the end, the Blue Rocks will be taking on the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Northern Division Championship Series. The best-of-three set will mark the fifth all-time postseason meeting between the two franchises, with the Rocks still searching for their first playoff-series win against the Hillcats in the team’s history. Wilmington and Lynchburg have met in the Northern Division Championship Series in 2002, 2003, 2009, and during the Blue Rocks most recent playoff appearance in 2012. During the first matchup in 2002, the Blue Crew took game one before falling in back-to-back contests to suffer elimination. The 2003 series saw Lynchburg sweep the best-of-three series. Six years later, the N.D.C.S morphed into a best-of-five set, and even though the Blue Rocks held a 2-1 lead in the series, the Hillcats took the next two tilts on the way to a playoff-series win. Finally, 2012 featured a return to the best-of-three format. The Rocks dropped the opener before evening the series in game two. In the decisive game three, Lychburg emerged victorious to bump the Rocks from the postseason for the fourth straight time.


The 2015 campaign was a tumultuous one on the riverfront, but it doesn’t end with the regular season. Game one of the Northern Division Championship Series will take place on September 9 at Lynhcburg, with game two and a potential game three occurring on September 10 and 11 at Frawley Stadium. The Blue Rocks have one final journey to embark on before the 2015 campaign comes to a close. For tickets to see the Rocks play postseason baseball at Frawley Stadium, call 302-888-BLUE, or visit www.bluerocks.com.

www.bluerocks.com.

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[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Monmouth Baseball <MonmouthHawks@neulionnetwork.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 5:09 PM
Subject: Article: BASEBALL OPENS SEASON WITH 3-1 WIN OVER PENN STATE
To: dawvoice3@gmail.com


Click here to view as a web page.

Courtesy Photo by Willis Glasgow

BASEBALL OPENS SEASON WITH 3-1 WIN OVER PENN STATE
Courtesy Monmouth Sports Information
Fri, February 19, 2016
CARY, NC – Frank Trimarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) tossed six scoreless innings and Shaine Hughes (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) collected two hits as the Monmouth baseball team topped Big Ten-member Penn State in the 2016 season opener on Friday afternoon in Cary, NC. The Hawks move to 1-0 while the Nittany Lions drop to 0-1.“I am really proud of the way we played today,” said head coach Dean Ehehalt. “Frank Trimarco was outstanding-he pitched out of a jam or two and really set the tone. Ben Hoffman got five huge outs to close it down.”After two scoreless innings, Monmouth got on the board in the third when Justin Trochiano (Morganville, NJ/Marlboro) doubled to left and moved to second on Grant Lamberton (Newark, DE/Salesianum)’s sacrifice bunt. Hughes singled to left to drive in Trochiano, and Monmouth took an early 1-0 lead.Monmouth added another pair of runs in the fourth, beginning when Dan Shea (Wilmington, DE/Salesianum) singled and stole second leading off. A walk to Chris Gaetano (Madison Township, PA/Scranton Preparatory) and a Christian Holland (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) single through the left side loaded the bases, and MU plated runs on a pair of RBI ground outs from Ryan Bailey (Mount Kisco, NY/Fox Lane) and Trochiano to push the lead to 3-0.Penn State got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, sparked by Nick Riotto’s leadoff single. After a fielder’s choice and a ground out, Conlin Hughes drove in the lone PSU run on a single to center to cut it to 3-1.Trimarco allowed two baserunners in the fifth and one in the sixth but pitched through it, striking out a pair in the sixth in what would be his final inning. Freshman Kyle Ajjan (Chester Springs, PA/Downingtown East) relieved Trimarco for the seventh and worked a perfect frame in his first collegiate inning. The Hawks put runners on second and third in the eighth with one away, but could not score.Penn State threatened in the eighth, with Jim Haley and Riotto opening the inning with singles. Ajjan got Christian Helsel to strike out but walked Tyler Kendall and was replaced by Ben Hoffman (Berlin, NJ/Voorhees [Gloucester County College]), who would make his Monmouth debut. Hoffman got Hughes and pinch-hitter James Coates to both foul out to first to escape the jam.In the ninth, Hoffman hit the first man he faced but retired the next three in order to record his first save and secure the opening day win for Monmouth. The Blue and White are now 2-1 all-time against Penn State, and open the season with a victory for the first time since 2014 at FAU.Hughes led Monmouth with two hits and an RBI, while Shea was on base three times with a hit and two walks. Trochiano doubled and scored a run in addition to driving one in. Trimarco got the win and threw six innings, allowing a run on five hits, walking three and fanning five. Ajjan tossed 1.1 scoreless, and Hoffman added 1.2 shutout innings to lock down the win and pick up the save.Haley, Riotto and Hughes combined for six of Penn State’s seven hits on the day, adding two apiece. Taylor Lehman suffered the loss, throwing six innings and surrendering three earned on five hits, striking out five. Dakota Forsyth contributed three one-hit innings out of the bullpen for the Nittany Lions.“We played with a bunch of energy and earned a hard fought team win,” added Ehehalt.Monmouth is back in action tomorrow at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, NC for a doubleheader with Bryant. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.



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[dawrestling]

LSU Baseball Report

For Immediate Release – February 19, 2015


ROMERO’ S WALK-OFF SINGLE LIFTS LSU TO 15th STRAIGHT SEASON-OPENING WIN

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge native Jordan Romero dropped a walk-off single into right field to score freshman O’Neal Lochridge from third as the Tigers defeated Cincinnati 6-5 in 12 innings Friday night at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field to extend their season-opener win streak to 15 consecutive games.

The Tigers improved to 1-0 on the season and 10-0 in season openers under head coach Paul Mainieri, and Cincinnati fell to 0-1 on the year.

The teams will meet in Game 2 of the series Saturday at 2:00 p.m. CT. The game will be available online only via SEC Network+ and can be accessed at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. It will also be broadcast live in Baton Rouge on 100.7 FM only. Fans can also go to LSUsports.net for live stats and audio through the GeauxZone.

Sophomore right-hander Alex Lange will get the start on the mound Saturday for LSU.

“I really thought tonight was a very competitive, great college baseball game,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Cincinnati played their hearts out, and they’ve got a veteran club that made some tremendous plays all night. Our team showed a lot of poise and composure in fighting back twice to tie the game late and then finally win in the 12th inning.”

Lochridge led off the bottom of the 12th with a single, and he moved to second on a balk by Bearcats reliever David Orndorff. A groundout by rightfielder Antoine Duplantis moved Lochridge to third before Orndorff struck out shortstop Cole Freeman. Romero, however, flared the game-hitting hit into right field to give the Tigers the victory.

Junior right-hander Alden Cartwright (1-0) earned the win after entering the game in the 11th inning in relief. He tossed two innings, struck out two and walked one.

Orndorff (0-1) suffered the loss after entering the game in the 11th, throwing two innings, surrendering one run on two hits, striking out one and walking one.

LSU starter Jared Poche’ worked 6.2 innings, surrendering three runs—two earned—on four hits, striking out five and walking three.

In the top of the second, Cincinnati first baseman Connor McVey reached on an error by first baseman Greg Deichmann, moved to third on a base hit by right fielder Ryan Noda and scored on a sacrifice bunt to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth after Duplantis singled up the middle, which scored left fielder Beau Jordan, who had reached on an error by Cincinnati third baseman Devin Wenzel.

Cincinnati took the 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh after a double to left-centerfield by Treg Haberkorn scored two runs for the Bearcats.

Junior second baseman Kramer Robertson lead off the bottom of the eighth with a double to right-centerfield and scored after advancing to third on a Jake Fraley groundout, cutting the Bearcats’ lead to 3-2.

In the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and runners on first and second, Romero has his first hit of the night as he singled up the middle to score pinch runner Brennan Breaux and tie the game at 3-3, sending the game into extra innings.

The Bearcats scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning after shortstop Manny Rodriguez singled in Haberkorn and second baseman Kyle Mottice took a bases loaded walk to score catcher Woody Wallace.

Sophomore designated hitter Bryce Jordan lead off the ninth inning as he was hit by a Jarod Yoakam pitch. With two outs and Br. Jordan on third, freshman first baseman Brody Wofford singled to right field, to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 5-4. Left-hander Dalton Lehnen entered the game for Yoakam with runners on first and second and walked his first batter. With the bases loaded and two outs, Freeman was hit by a Lehnen pitch to drive in Wofford and tie the game at 5-5.

Junior right-hander Hunter Newman entered in relief of Poche’ and surrendered two earned runs on one hit, struck out two and walked two in 2.1 innings pitched. Right-hander Parker Bugg threw one inning and gave up one walk and one hit in his first appearance of the year.

The game marked the second time since 1972 that the Tigers played extra innings in a season opener. The Tigers won at Central Florida, 4-3, in 10 innings in the 2004 season opener.

---30---
Alissa Cavaretta

LSU Athletic Communications

Student Assistant

(985) 722-8258

acavar3@lsu.edu


Bill Franques

LSU Athletics

Athletic Administration Building

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Cell: 225.241.4359

Office: 225.578.2527

wfranqu@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William P Franques <wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 3:58 PM
Subject: LSU 4, CINCINNATI 0 (box score attached; story below)
To:




LSU Baseball Report

For Immediate Release – February 20, 2016


TIGERS BLANK CINCINNATI, 4-0, BEHIND THE PITCHING OF ALL-AMERICAN ALEX LANGE


BATON ROUGE, La. -- Picking up where he left off last year, sophomore right-hander Alex Lange fired 6.2 innings, recording nine strikeouts and allowing only one hit to help lift the Tigers to a 4-0 shutout victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats (0-2) in Game 2 of the series at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.


Lange and relievers Caleb Gilbert and Jesse Stallings combined to allow only four base hits while registering 13 strikeouts against the Cincinnati batters.


LSU (2-0) will play host to Cincinnati (0-2) in Game 3 of the series Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. CT. The game will be available online via SEC Network+, and it can be accessed at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. Fans can listen to the radio broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network, including 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge. Visit LSUsports.net for live stats and audio through the GeauxZone.


Senior left-hander John Valek III, a transfer from the University of Akron, will make his first start for LSU on Sunday afternoon.


Lange (1-0), a 2015 first-team All-American and the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year, threw 91 pitches in his outing on Saturday, improving his LSU career record to 13-0.


“Alex Lange was overpowering out there today,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “(LSU pitching coach) Alan Dunn has been working with him on a change-up, and as he continues to develop it, he has a chance to be even better. He gave us a dominating performance, and our defense played exceptionally well behind him.”


Cincinnati starter Mitch Patishall (0-1) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings with one walk and no strikeouts.


The Tigers took the lead in the bottom half of the first inning as centerfielder Jake Fraley tripled to right field and later scored after a wild pitch from Patishall .


LSU added to its lead in the second when first baseman Greg Deichmann homered to right field for his first collegiate hit to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.


“Deichmann really crushed that ball, didn’t he?” Mainieri said. “I think it landed in the top row of the right-field bleachers. Greg is a tremendous athlete, and he can be a real force for us with a very powerful swing.”


In the bottom of the fifth, left fielder Beau Jordan hit a sacrifice fly to bring home second baseman Kramer Robertson from third, giving LSU a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Fraley stole second base, and designated hitter Bryce Jordan single up the middle on the next play to extend the lead to 4-0.


Lange left the game to a standing ovation in the seventh, where Gilbert and Stallings took over to combine for 2.1 innings pitched, three hits and four strikeouts.


Gilbert, a freshman right-hander making his collegiate debut, worked 1.1 innings, allowing two hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Stallings, a sophomore right-hander, pitched a scoreless ninth and recorded one strikeout.


---30---

Bill Franques

LSU Athletics

Athletic Administration Building

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Cell: 225.241.4359

Office: 225.578.2527

wfranqu@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Monmouth Baseball <MonmouthHawks@neulionnetwork.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 21, 2016 at 8:16 PM
Subject: Article: BASEBALL DEFEATED BY ARMY WEST POINT, 6-5 SUNDAY
To: dawvoice3@gmail.com


Click here to view as a web page.

Courtesy Photo by Taylor Jackson

BASEBALL DEFEATED BY ARMY WEST POINT, 6-5 SUNDAY
Courtesy Monmouth Sports Information
Sun, February 21, 2016
CARY, NC – Monmouth University’s baseball team fell to Army West Point in the bottom of the ninth, 6-5 Sunday afternoon at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, NC. Senior shortstop Robbie Alessandrine (Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) had three hits and drove in four of Monmouth’s five runs.

Down a run heading to the ninth, Ryan Bailey (Mount Kisco, NY/Fox Lane) drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Justin Trochiano (Morganville, NJ/Marlboro) went to second on a ground out. Alessandrine’s third hit of the day brought home the tying run. Justin Reece started the bottom of the inning with a base hit for Army, and after Josh White reached on a fielder’s choice, he stole second with one out. A walk and a double steal put runners on second and third, and an error on a ball hit towards second by Brandon Lee gave the Black Knights the win.

Seven of the games’ 11 runs were scored in the first two innings, with MU jumping out to a 1-0 lead on a Cary Jacobson (Los Angeles, CA/Palisades) RBI single. Army got the run back in the bottom of the inning on an MU error.

Alessandrine doubled home Aidan Favia (Short Hills, NJ/Millburn) and Ryan Crowley (Cornwall-on-Hudson, NJ/Iona Preparatory) in the second after they reached on a single and a walk respectively. Army responded with three in the home half of the second, getting two on a White double to take a 4-3 lead. A wild pitch brought home a fifth run in the sixth to make it 5-3 Army.

The Blue and White got one back in the seventh when Grant Lamberton (Newark, DE/Salesianum) singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Alessandrine brought him around on a base hit to cut the lead to 5-4.

Alessandrine led Monmouth with three hits and four RBI’s, and seven different Hawks registered a hit. Freshman Kyle Ajjan (Chester Springs, PA/Downingtown East) took the loss, tossing 2.2 innings in relief and allowing a run on one hit with four strikeouts. Mike Brambilla (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) made his first career start, throwing six innings and allowing five runs with eight strikeouts.

White had two runs scored and two driven in for the Black Knights. Starter Franklin Garrison worked seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Justin French got the win, allowing a run on one hit in 1.2 innings.

The Hawks return to action next weekend at the Wofford Tournament to take on UNC-Asheville Friday afternoon at 12:00 p.m.




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Sanford, FL 32771

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William P Franques<wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 28, 2016 at 2:38 PM
Subject: LSU 11, SACRAMENTO STATE 1 (box score attached; story below)
To:




For Immediate Release

LSU Sports Information - February 28, 2016


Valek Leads LSU in Series Win Over Sacramento State, 11-1


BATON ROUGE, La. -- Senior pitcher John Valek III faced the minimum in six of his seven innings to lead fifth-ranked LSU to an 11-1 win over Sacramento State Sunday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.


LSU improved to 5-2 on the season with the series win while Sacramento State dropped to 4-3. The Tigers returns to action at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Nicholls in Thibodaux, La. The game will be televised on Cox Sports Television. Fans can listen to the game on the LSU Sports Radio Network, including 98.1 in Baton Rouge.


Valek III is now 2-0 on the year with Sunday’s win. The southpaw struck out six and limited the Hornets to one run on four hits with no walks.


Sacramento State starter Max Karnos (0-1) suffered his first loss of the season after allowing five runs on seven hits through four innings of work.


“John Valek was obviously the story of the game,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “He was terrific; he threw strikes and he kept their hitters off balance with his two-seam fastball and his change-up. Most importantly, he shut them down right after we had a big inning, and he never allowed them to gain any momentum.”


The Tigers used a five-run third inning to grab the momentum early. Shortstop Cole Freeman reached on a fielding error and second baseman Kramer Robertson followed with an infield single to third base to put runners on the corners.


Centerfielder Jake Fraley ripped a single through the left side of the field to give LSU a 1-0 lead.


After freshman Antoine Duplantis walked on four pitches to load the bases, leftfielder Beau Jordan lined a one-out double to right-center field to clear the bases. First baseman Bryce Jordan tallied a single to center field to score Bryce Jordan and give the Tigers a 5-0 lead.


“The Jordan brothers have such a positive influence on our team,” Mainieri said. “They’re such great leaders, and you can tell there’s a difference when they’re in the lineup. I thought they both impacted this game in a big way.”


Bryce Jordan doubled to center field with one out in the fifth inning. Designated hitter Greg Deichmann skipped a two-out single up the middle in the fifth to score Jordan and push the LSU lead to 6-0.


Freeman led off the sixth with a single up the middle. The freshman stole second, stole third and then scored on a throwing error by catcher Gunner Pollman. With Robertson on third after a walk and single by Fraley, Duplantis continued his hot start with an RBI single to center field. It marked Duplantis' seventh-straight game with a hit.


The Hornets put their lone run on the board in the top of the seventh off of Valek. Blake Edmonson led off with a double to left-center field and eventually scored on a one-out single by designated hitter Matt Smith.


LSU took advantage of mistakes by the Hornets with two outs in the seventh inning to push the lead to 11-1. LSU loaded the bases with an O'Neal Lochridge walk, single by Freeman and Robertson hit by pitch. Gorgolinski then threw two consecutive wild pitches to score Lochridge and Freeman. An error by Pollman behind the plate on his throw back to the pitcher scored Robertson.


“I was proud of the way we responded after the loss yesterday,” Mainieri said. “We take a lot of pride around here in not having losing streaks, and our players came out to the park today determined to win. I think we learned a lot about our team this week, and some things which may have been negative in the short term can benefit us over the entire course of the season.”


---30---

Brandon Berrio

LSU Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

(225) 328-7065

Bberri1@lsu.edu



Bill Franques

LSU Athletics

Athletic Administration Building

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Cell: 225.241.4359

Office: 225.578.2527

wfranqu@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

CT: #4 Franklin Pierce Jumps Out to Early Lead on Way to 12-4 Victory over Wilmington Baseball
DATE: February 28, 2016
djl
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - - Fourth ranked Franklin Pierce jumped out to an early lead on its way to a 12-4 victory over the Wilmington University baseball team on Sunday morning to wrap up play and the opening weekend at the Ripken Experience.
A five run second inning and a three run third inning put the Wildcats (1-3) behind the eight ball as the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball fourth ranked Ravens (5-0) held leads of 8-0 and 9-1 before both teams scored late.
After a scoreless first inning, the Ravens got to starting pitching John Hetterman in the second. A walk and then four straight hits, including an inside the park home run, to start the inning put the Ravens up 5-0. Another home run and four total hits in the third inning extended Franklin Pierce's lead to 8-0 after two and a half innings.
The Wildcats got on the board in the bottom of the third, as freshmen Julian Kurych doubled and Max Carney tripled with two outs to break the ice.
A third homer to lead off the fourth gave the Ravens a 9-1 lead before Zach Frederick came on to stymie the Ravens' offense for the next four innings. Frederick struck out four batters while only allowing two hits in his collegiate debut.
Trailing 11-1 in the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats got two back two outs in the inning. With the bases loaded, Kendall Small reached on an error by the third baseman, bringing in the first run. Brad Scull was hit by a pitch to bring in another run before the Ravens got out of the inning with a grounder.
The Wildcats threatened again in the ninth inning, putting runners on first and third with only one out after a Kurych double and Carney single. Dan Hyatt singled into left field to bring home Kurych, but it was too little too late as the Ravens induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the game, 12-4.
Carney led the team by going 3-for-5 with a double and a triple while Kurych went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. JR Gregory and Nick Macey also doubled for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats head south once again when they play their next context to start their annual Florida Trip. The Wildcats begin play in Florida with a game against American International on Sunday, March 6.

 

[dawrestling]

Delaware High School Baseball 2016 News

Delaware Spring Sports Report 3-22-16

Michael Ferriola and Kyle Risner combined on a one-hitter to lead A.I. duPont over DAPSS 10-1 in the opening game for both teams. Risner also delivered at the plate with 3 hits including 2 doubles. Luke Wilhelm drove in 3 runs for Tigers. DAPSS was lead by Jason Elliot who had a hit and made a great defensive play.

Jeremy Smith and Corey Mitchell combined to strike out 13 for Delcastle as they defeated Christiana 24-0. Mitchell doubled twice, driving in 4 runs. Jared Young had 3 RBI for the Cougars.

David Hazelton and Dan Patterson had two hit each for St. Elizabeth as they defeated Concord 3-2. Dillon Coughenour had two hits for Concord..

Derek Esposito hit a solo home run, and Ryan Steckline and Chandler Fitzgerald each had 2 RBI in the season-opening win for Appoquinimink as they defeated Hodgson 7-5. Connor Megginson had 3 hits for Hodgson.

The Senators overcame a 3-1 deficit as they scored 6 runs in the top of the 7th as they defeated Lake Forest 7-3 to get the win. Jordan Hutchins came in for relief and picked up the win while striking out 7. Hutchins added 2 rbi’s and Tevin Thomas had two hits. For the Spartans, Eric Berardicelli had 2 hits and 2 stolen bases.

Luke Wootten hit a base clearing 3 run double in the bottom of the 6th to ignite a Middletown rally as they defeated the Seahawks of Delaware Military Academy 9-8. Brandon Rohrer drove in a walk off sac fly in the bottom of the 9th for the win. Jeffrey Gillis collected 3 hits for DMA.

3 Milford pitchers combined to earn the 7-4 conference victory over Caesar Rodney. Danny Burgos pushed across the go ahead run in the bottom of the 6th to give the Bucs the lead. Shaen Snowden and Jimmy Kucharzyk each had 2 hits. Dante George contributed a 2 run double. Aaron Thornley picked up the win in relief. For the Riders, Thomas Pomatto led the way with 3 rbi and Steven Platt scored twice for CR.

Eric Moore struck out five in two innings to pick up the 18-2 win for Mount Pleasant. Mount’s Carson Fowler went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI. Dickinson’s Trevor Nix went 3 for 3 with a double and a HR.

: Jeremy Carrow struck out six while giving up only one hit in six solid innings of work to pace Smyrna to a 4-0 win over Delmar. Brandt Penuel was 1 for 3 with 2 RBI while Nolan Henderson was 2 for 3, knocking in an insurance run in the 6th. John Barkley closed out the 7th, giving up one hit and striking out 2.
Jordan Haddaway and Fred Frey each had a hit for the Wildcats. James Adkins held the Eagles to just 2 hits through 5 innings.

St. Andrew’s offense was paced by Donovan Simpson, Andrew Nolte, and Baylen Manocha who had two hits each as they defeated the Ravens of St. Thomas More 9-0. Lee DeMarkus had two hits for St. Thomas More. The Cardinals played errorless defense and pulled of three double plays. Three pitchers combined for two strike outs while walking only three.

Xander Emberger (3 hits/3 RBI) and Jaret Bush (3 Runs/5 RBI) led the Red Lion Offense to an 18-8 win over the Howard Wildcats.

:Sussex Tech’s Justin Hill and Kye Lux were both 3-4 with a HR and 4RBI each. Lux also had a double. Braydan Graham and Anthony Hitchcock also had 2 hits each for Tech as they defeated Sussex Tech 16-6. For Sussex Central, Trever Collins was 2-2 with a HR, 3RBI and 1 run scored.

Nate Hardcastle picked up his first win of the season giving up one hit while striking out 5 Royals in 3 innings pitched as Wilmington Christian by a 19-0 score. Luke Rettig also struck out 5 in 2 innings of relief. Jack Hardcastle hit a bases clearing triple in the first inning jump starting the Warriors offense. Michael Sorowice had 5 RBI’s. Four of the RBI’s came off a grand slam homer in the 4th inning. Tim Glavin also added a 2 run shot in for WCS. Jeff Grantham chipped in with a pair of RBI’s as well…Micah Magee had both hits for Delmarva, including a double.

: Woodbridge was led by Doug Avery who threw 4+ stong innings. Offensively a team effort led to 4 hits and 7 runs as they defeated Seaford 7-1. Seaford was led by pitcher Evan Nibblett who threw 3+ innings and Bryan Widdowson who added a hit and an RBI for the Blue Jays.

 

[youjustme]

Dave, much like your old wrestling post, this Baseball thread has grown into a 7 page monster.Since the season is just starting, perhaps you could start a new thread each year. It would also help if you had a High School only thread but I'm not complaining. Everyone appreciates your time and effort. Just hope things can be formatted in a more user friendly way. Thanks.

 

[dawrestling]

Good suggestion and I did at your request. Take care DAW

 

[dawrestling]

I'll use the long threads for college and local Delaware athletes who are playing in colleges. Do you know of any? I have Danny Shea, Jake Fraley and Lane Lamberton covered cause I get their press releases every week. Please help me out.

 

[dawrestling]

------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William P Franques <wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Wed, Mar 23, 2016 at 4:19 PM
Subject: LSU Baseball at Texas A&M This Week
To:


LSU Baseball Report
For Immediate Release – March 23, 2016


#10 LSU Fighting Tigers (15-5, 1-2 SEC) at #2 Texas A&M Aggies (19-2, 2-1 SEC)


DATES/TIMES

Thursday, March 24 – 6 p.m. CT

Friday, March 25 – 8 p.m. CT

Saturday, March 26 – 2 p.m. CT


STADIUM

Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas


RANKINGS

LSU – No. 10 by D1 Baseball; No. 13 by Baseball America; No. 13 by USA Today; No. 15 by Collegiate Baseball

TAMU – No. 2 by D1 Baseball; No. 2 by Baseball America; No. 2 by USA Today; No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball


RADIO

LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge

www.LSUsports.net/live with live stats at www.LSUstats.com.


The games on Thursday and Friday will be televised by the SEC Network. Saturday’s game may be viewed online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.


LSU opened SEC play last weekend by dropping two of three games at Alabama, while Texas A&M posted a 2-1 series win at Auburn. The Tigers began this week’s action Tuesday night with an 8-5 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette at Zephyr Field in Metairie, La.


Six of the nine games played between LSU and Texas A&M since the Aggies began playing SEC baseball in 2013 have been decided by one run.


“We’ve played a number of very close games against Texas A&M since they joined the league, and it’s always been an extremely competitive series,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We’re definitely the underdogs going into the series, but it’s kind of nice being the underdogs for a change. Our players are confident and are looking forward to playing in a great environment for college baseball.


“Texas A&M has a very potent offensive team, so the challenge for our hitters is to try to match their firepower while playing great defense behind our pitchers.”


LSU is sixth in the SEC with a .306 team batting average, and the Tigers have 13 homers and 38 stolen bases on the year. Freshman rightfielder Antoine Duplantis, whose 19-game hitting streak ended on Tuesday against UL-Lafayette, leads LSU with a .377 batting average. Duplantis has six doubles, two triples, 10 RBI, 14 runs and seven steals in seven attempts.


LSU junior centerfielder Jake Fraley is batting .370 with four doubles, three triples, one homer, 12 RBI, 25 runs and 13 steals, and junior second baseman Cole Freeman is hitting .338 with three doubles, eight RBI, 14 runs and 11 stolen bases.


The Tigers will face a Texas A&M pitching staff that is sixth in the league with a 2.94 team ERA. The Aggies are fifth in the SEC in strikeouts recorded by pitchers with 215.


Texas A&M is No. 1 in the SEC with a team batting average of .343, and the Aggies have launched 19 home runs. Senior outfielder J.B. Moss leads Texas A&M at the plate, batting .415 with eight doubles, three triples, three homers and 22 RBI. Senior infielder Boomer White is batting .407 with six doubles, one homer and 17 RBI, and senior catcher Michael Barash and senior infielder Hunter Melton share the team lead with four home runs.


The Texas A&M-LSU series is tied, 18-18-1, and the first meeting between the teams occurred in 1907 in Baton Rouge (a 3-2 LSU win). LSU has won 12 of the last 16 meetings with Texas A&M, including a 2-1 series victory last season in Baton Rouge, when LSU was ranked No. 1 and Texas A&M No. 2.


The teams’ first meeting in which Texas A&M played as a member of the SEC occurred in 2013, when LSU won two of three games in College Station. The Tigers also played in College Station in 2014, when the Aggies posted a 2-1 series victory, so LSU is 3-3 in its last six games in the Aggies’ home ball park.



---30---

Bill Franques

LSU Athletics

Athletic Administration Bldg.

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

225.578.2527 (office)

225.241.4359 (cell)

225.578.1861 (fax)

wfranqu@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Monmouth Baseball <MonmouthHawks@neulionnetwork.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 23, 2016 at 9:13 PM
Subject: Article: BASEBALL BREAKS TIE IN NINTH TO BEAT HOFSTRA, 5-4
To: dawvoice3@gmail.com


Click here to view as a web page.

Courtesy Monmouth University Photo

BASEBALL BREAKS TIE IN NINTH TO BEAT HOFSTRA, 5-4
Courtesy Monmouth Sports Information
Wed, March 23, 2016
HEMPSTEAD, NY– Shaine Hughes (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) drove in Robbie Alessandrine (Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) in the ninth to snap a 4-4 tie as the Monmouth baseball team came from behind to beat Hofstra Wednesday, 5-4. Monmouth’s bullpen tossed 4.2 scoreless frames, capped by a spotless ninth from Joe Molettiere (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) to improve to 8-11 while the Pride fall to 5-16.

“It was a really good team win with a lot of contributors,” said Dean Ehehalt. “Tyler Ksiazek did a really good job giving us a chance, our bullpen was excellent and Grant Lamberton had a huge day while Shaine Hughes continues to drive in runs.”

Alessandrine tucked a one-out double inside the third base bag with one out in the ninth, and two batters later, Hughes singled past the second baseman to score the lead and eventual winning run. Molettiere needed just seven pitches in the bottom of the inning, getting a three-pitch strikeout, a ground out to second and a fly ball to center to end the game.

MU hit home runs in back-to-back innings to tie the game, with Cary Jacobson (Los Angeles, CA/Palisades) hitting one to straightaway left to cut it to 4-3 in the sixth. With two down and nobody on in the seventh, Grant Lamberton (Newark, DE/Salesianum) launched his first of the year to right center on a ball that neither outfielder ever pursued to make it 4-3 after seven.

Hofstra took a 4-2 lead in the home fifth, with Tom Archer taking a hit by pitch on the elbow leading off. A sacrifice bunt advanced him to second, and Ryan Karl singled through the right side to score Archer and give Hofstra the lead back. The Pride tacked a run on after a Teddy Cillis infield single when Vito Friscia doubled to right center, making it 4-2 Hofstra after five.

In the fifth, Sean Arnott (Brielle, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy [Temple]) singled through the left side leading off after saving a run defensively with a leaping grab to end the fourth. An Alessandrine bunt moved Arnott to second, and Hughes walked to make it first and second with two down. With Dan Shea (Wilmington, DE/Salesianum) at the plate, a wild pitch skipped so far towards the Pride dugout that Arnott scored from second to tie the game at two.

Lamberton led off the first with a line-drive double to center and moved to second on a wild pitch. Hughes hit one in the air to right center, scoring Lamberton to make it 1-0 Hawks.

In the bottom of the first, Karl singled up the middle before Friscia homered off the left field wall to make it 2-1 Pride.

Freshman Tyler Ksiazek (South Abington Township, PA/Abington Heights) made his first career start, taking a no decision after allowing four runs on five hits through 4.1 innings. Jesse Fante (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) tossed 1.2 one-hit scoreless innings, striking out the side on 17 pitches in the sixth. Kyle Ajjan (Chester Springs, PA/Downingtown East) earned his first career win with two scoreless innings out of the pen, while Molettiere earned the save.

Cillis started on the mound for the Pride, firing three innings and giving up a run on two hits with four strikeouts. Chris Bonk allowed two runs on three hits in 2.1 frames. Adam Heidenfelder was checked with the loss, allowing the go-ahead run in the ninth.

“Sean Arnott had a heads up play to score from second on a wild pitch, and it’s good to see us do those things,” added Ehehalt. “Excellent way to wrap up our pre-conference schedule and hit this weekend with good momentum.”

Monmouth opens conference play this Friday at 3:00 p.m. at home against Rider. The game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN3.




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[dawrestling]

DATE: March 23, 2016
djl
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - Behind the pitching of freshman Caitlyn Whiteside and a pair of home runs, the Wilmington University softball team swept a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader, 5-1 and 5-4, on the road at Chestnut Hill on Wednesday afternoon.
Whiteside tossed the final two innings to save the game for Danielle Bradley in the opener, before picking up the win in the nightcap in throwing the final 2.1 innings. The Wildcats (10-12, 5-1 CACC) have now won seven of the last eight games overall.
Junior Colby Wyatt started the scoring for the Wildcats in the second inning of the opener, blasting a three-run shot to left for her first home run of the season. Bradley didn't allow a hit until the third inning, but left the runner at third base.
The Griffins (5-21, 3-3 CACC) threatened in the fourth, putting two runners on with one out. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, but Bradley induced a grounder to get out of the jam. Chestnut Hill broke the ice in the fifth with a single run, scoring on a wild pitch after a leadoff single.
Whiteside replaced Bradley to start the bottom of the sixth and set the Griffins down in order. That allowed Shannon Brantley to give the Wildcats a 4-1 lead with a solo homer to left center before Taylor Rizzotte knocked in Cambria Ziemba with a two-out single for another insurance run.
Whiteshite then left a one-out error on first base in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save. Bradley improved to 3-5 with the win while Wyatt led the team with two hits and three RBI.
The bats stayed hot in the nightcap, as the Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Becca Stanley and Ziemba started the game with back-to-back singles before Ziemba scored the game's first run on a wild pitch and a throwing error. Wyatt then remained hot at the plate with an RBI single through the right side to score Kaitlyn Slater.
But the Griffins answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, tying the game, 2-2. The Wildcats came right back in the second, however, scoring on a two-out error and a double steal with runners on first and third.
Chestnut Hill fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth, putting a leadoff runner on third with two outs. An infield single scored the tying run, 4-4.
The offense left a runner on in the sixth inning but got back-to-back singles to start the seventh. Ziemba advanced to third base but the trailing runner was out at second for the second out of the inning. Brantley followed with a clutch RBI single through the right side, giving the Wildcats the 5-4 lead.
Whiteside walked the leadoff batter of the bottom half of the seventh but ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts, leaving the tying run on second.
Ziemba went 4-for-4 in the nightcap, scoring three runs. Brantley went 2-for-4 while also pitching 3.1 innings of relief. Whiteside improved to 3-3 with the win, tossing the final 2.1 innings while recorded four strikeouts.
The Wildcats remain in the CACC but return home to Asbury Field for their next contest. Holy Family comes to town in a remake from March 15. The first game is slated for 12:00 p.m.

 

[dawrestling]

SUBJECT: Wilmington Baseball Left Stranded as West Chester Takes Bill Giles Invitational Opener, 5-3
DATE: March 23, 2016
djl
NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team left 14 runners on base en route to dropping a 5-3 decision to West Chester in the first round of the Bill Giles Invitational on Wednesday afternoon at Wilson Field.
The Wildcats (2-12) jumped out in front early on the Golden Rams (13-4) but a three run eighth inning provided all the support West Chester would be need for the comeback victory.
A two-out bases empty error opened the door for the Wildcats in the bottom of the first, as Kendall Small continued the rally with a single through the right side. Max Carney then pulled one down the right field line for a two-run triple. The Wildcats left a pair on base in the bottom of the first, starting a string of leaving at least one runner on base in every inning of the game.
Starter Jay Kluka sailed through the first three innings, picking up five strikeouts while only allowing one hit before turning it over to the bullpen.
West Chester got on the board with a run in the fourth, as Chuck Delagol loaded the bases with two outs. Nearly out of the jam, a wild pitch brought the first Golden Ram home.
The Wildcats put their leadoff runner on in the home half of the fourth, but back-to-back fly balls to the outfield ending the threat, including a running shoestring catch in center with a pair on. Delagol returned for the fifth, but the Golden Rams tied the game with a leadoff home run to right center by Drew Diehl.
Rocky Ferrier led off the sixth with a single but was again stranded on third as West Chester escaped. Dan Hyatt started the seventh with a single to right, but West Chester buckled down to record three straight outs to strand another runner at first.
The Golden Rams started the eighth inning with three straight singles off Matt Frost. Peter Monahan came on and induced a 4-6-3 double play, but allowed the go-ahead run to come home. Three straight walks forced in another run before Kyle Menchaca hit a batter to force in another run and put the Rams up 5-2.
Brooks Ryan then started the eighth with a single and Frank Nigro put runners on first and second with one out. But once again, the Rams got out of the jam with back-to-back outs.
With their last effort, Hyatt started the bottom of the ninth with a single to center. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases with one out. Now with two outs, Ferrier kept the Wildcats alive with an RBI single up the middle, but the Rams ended the game with a grounder to second.
Hyatt, Carne, and Ferrier led the Wildcats with two hits, as Carney's two RBI led the team. Frost was saddled with the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year.
The Wildcats remain home for three more games, as they host Queens in another nonconference game on Tuesday, March 29. The first pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Willauer <dawvoice3@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 6, 2016 at 11:25 PM
Subject: Fwd: LSU 5, ARKANSAS 4 (box score attached; recap below)
To: ad@caravel.org



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William P Franques <wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Fri, May 6, 2016 at 9:49 PM
Subject: LSU 5, ARKANSAS 4 (box score attached; recap below)
To:




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LSU SPORTS INFORMATION – May 6, 2016


BASEBALL TAKES OPENING GAME OVER ARKANSAS, 5-4


BATON ROUGE – No. 13 LSU posted a 5-4 win over Arkansas to take the opening game of the three-game Southeastern Conference series Friday evening at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.


LSU improved to 29-16 overall and 12-10 in the SEC. Arkansas dropped to 26-20 overall and 7-15 in league play.


Game 2 of the series starts at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday, and it will be televised by ESPNU. The game is also accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.


Saturday’s game will be carried on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge, Live audio of the games may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net/live with live stats at www.LSUstats.com.


Sophomore right-hander Alex Lange (6-3) earned the victory Friday after allowing three runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings. Lange struck out six and only walked one. Over the past three games spanning 25.1 innings, Lange has only walked three batters.


“I thought Alex Lange gave us another courageous performance and got us off to the start we needed in this series,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Arkansas has a lot of tough hitters in their lineup, and they got to Alex early. He had to work extremely hard throughout the outing, but I thought he got stronger and was really at his best in the sixth and seventh innings.


“Tonight’s game was the perfect example of why I say it is so hard to win a college baseball game. It really was a grind, but we managed to do enough to win the game. At this time of the year, you’ll take the win and put it in your back pocket and look forward to getting back out here tomorrow.”


Junior right-hander Hunter Newman earned his third save of the season after limiting the Razorbacks to one run on no hits over the final 1.2 innings.


Arkansas starter Dominic Taccolini (5-3) was charged with the loss as he allowed five runs – four earned – on five hits in five innings with three walks and one strikeout.


The Razorbacks took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With runners on second and third, left fielder Luke Bonfield hit an RBI groundout to second base. LSU evened the game in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout by shortstop Kramer Robertson.


LSU gained the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Centerfielder Jake Fraley walked with one out and later scored after a stolen base and pair of wild pitches.


Arkansas tied the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single up the middle by catcher Tucker Pennell.


The Tigers loaded the bases in the sixth inning with a pair of walks and a single. LSU plated three runs in the inning on two bases-loaded walks and sacrifice fly by catcher Jordan Romero.


Arkansas narrowed the deficit to 5-3 in the eighth inning on a solo home run by first baseman Clark Eagan against Lange, who then struck out centerfielder Carson Shaddy before yielding the mound to Newman.


The Razorbacks reduced LSU’s lead to 5-4 in the ninth on a wild pitch by Newman, and Arkansas had the tying run on third with two outs. Newman forced Eagan to fly out to Fraley in right-center field to end the game.


Fraley collected two stolen bases in the game to increase his career total to 53 and move into a tie for ninth place with Chad Cooley (1993-96) on the LSU all-time steals list.


---30---

Brandon Berrio

LSU Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Swimming & Diving and Women’s Tennis

(225) 328-7065

Bberri1@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William P Franques <wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Sat, May 14, 2016 at 3:21 PM
Subject: LSU 11, TENNESSEE 3 (box score attached; recap below)
To:




LSU Baseball Report

For Immediate Release – May 14, 2016


NO. 11 LSU POSTS 11-3 WIN OVER TENNESSEE


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Junior left-hander Jared Poche’ limited Tennessee on Saturday to two runs in 5.1 innings, and junior catcher Jordan Romero collected three hits and two RBI to lead 11th-ranked LSU to an 11-3 win over the Volunteers at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.


LSU, which has won seven straight games and five consecutive SEC contests, improved to 35-16 overall and 16-10 in conference play. Tennessee dropped to 26-25 overall and 7-19 in the SEC.


The teams conclude the series Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) in a game that may be viewed online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. The game can be heard on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, with live audio and live stats available at www.LSUsports.net.


Freshman right-hander Caleb Gilbert (4-2) will start on the mound for the Tigers, and Tennessee will counter with sophomore left-hander Aaron Soto (4-2).


Poche’ (6-4) worked 5.1 innings on Saturday, firing 90 pitches and limiting the Vols to two runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Russell Reynolds earned his first career save, as he worked the final 3.2 innings and allowed one run on three hits with no walks and one strikeout.


LSU erupted for six runs on six hits in the first inning against Tennessee starter Zach Warren. The inning was highlighted by a two-run double from leftfielder Beau Jordan and RBI singles by shortstop Kramer Robertson, catcher Jordan Romero, third baseman Chris Reid and first baseman Greg Deichmann.


“We have a very good offensive team that takes an excellent approach at the plate, and that was certainly evident today,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “That first inning outburst was huge for us and set the tone for the game. Jared gave us a solid outing and worked into the sixth inning, which is exactly what we needed. Russell Reynolds continues to very effective out of the bullpen, so our pitching is set up nicely for the final game of the series.


“We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now, which is critical at this time of the season.”


Warren (5-5) was charged with the loss, as he recorded just one out in the top of the first inning and issued two walks.


LSU extended its lead to 7-0 in the second inning when Romero unloaded a solo homer, his ninth dinger of the year.


Romero was 3-for-4 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored to lead LSU’s 13-hit output.


The Tigers added two runs in the third as rightfielder Antoine Duplantis scored when Tennessee centerfielder Brodie Leftridge misplayed LSU centerfielder Jake Fraley’s single, and Fraley later came home from third on a double steal.


Tennessee narrowed the deficit to 9-1 in the bottom of third when Leftridge doubled and later scored on third baseman Nick Senzel’s groundout.


Fraley lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth to score second baseman Cole Freeman, giving the Tigers a 10-1 advantage.


Tennessee scored a run in the sixth on a Poche’ wild pitch, but LSU answered with a run in the top of the seventh when Deichmann scored from second base on a throwing error by first baseman Derek Lance.


The Vols added a run in the eighth on Lance’s sacrifice fly to account for the final margin.


---30---

Bill Franques

LSU Athletics

Athletic Administration Building

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Cell: 225.241.4359

Office: 225.578.2527

wfranqu@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Monmouth Baseball <MonmouthHawks@neulionnetwork.com>
Date: Tue, May 17, 2016 at 9:03 PM
Subject: Article: LAMBERTON’S SACRIFICE FLY LIFTS MONMOUTH TO 5-4 WIN OVER HOFSTRA IN EXTRAS
To: dawvoice3@gmail.com


Click here to view as a web page.

Courtesy Photo by Taylor Jackson

LAMBERTON’S SACRIFICE FLY LIFTS MONMOUTH TO 5-4 WIN OVER HOFSTRA IN EXTRAS
Courtesy Monmouth Sports Information
Tue, May 17, 2016
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Grant Lamberton (Newark, DE/Salesianum) lifted a bases loaded sacrifice fly in the 13th inning to give Monmouth baseball (28-24) a 5-4 win over Hofstra Tuesday afternoon at the MU Baseball Field. The Hawks earned their 28th win of the season, tying Canisius for the most total wins amongst MAAC teams this season.Cary Jacobson (Los Angeles, CA/Palisades) led off the 13th by beating out a chopper up the middle. Jacobson then took off on the pitch and Aidan Favia (Short Hills, NJ/Millburn) pushed a single through the vacated left side to put runners on the corners with no outs. After a ground out and a walk loaded the bases, Lamberton hit one to left that scored Jacobson with the winning run.Monmouth scored three in the eighth after trailing 4-1 entering the inning. Favia sparked that rally as well, lining a single up the middle before Jordan McCrum (Dallas, PA/Dallas Senior) put a single to left. Robbie Alessandrine (Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) dropped a single inside the right field line to score Favia, and Lamberton loaded the bases after his sacrifice bunt attempt was booted. Christian Holland (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) put a single to right to score a second run, and Chris Gaetano (Madison Township, PA/Scranton Preparatory) drew an eight-pitch bases loaded walk to tie the game.Hofstra scored three just before that in the top of the inning to take the three-run lead. On a double steal, Kevin O’Connor came home when the ball was thrown into left field. David Leiderman then singled to left to score two more and give the Pride a 4-1 advantage.MU got on the board first in the second when Clay Koniencki (Schwenksville, PA/Malvern Prep) walked and went to second on a ground out. Favia followed with a line shot to left that scored the game’s first run. Hofstra answered in the sixth with a solo homer from Steven Foster to tie the game.McCrum picked up his second win in a stellar relief outing, tossing three hitless innings with four strikeouts. Justin Andrews (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) was equally as good, allowing no runs on two hits in 2.2 innings and working out of a jam with runners at second and third and nobody out. He fanned five, and starter Joe Molettiere (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) threw six and allowed a run on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Favia had three hits for Monmouth.Foster and Leiderman each had multiple hits for Hofstra, with Leiderman driving in a pair and Foster scoring two. The Pride used 10 pitchers, and Zach Altieri took the loss after allowing the winning run.Monmouth returns to action Friday at 1:00 p.m. for a doubleheader with UMass Lowell at the MU Baseball Field.



Click here to view as a web page.

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NeuLion
800 Central Park Drive
Sanford, FL 32771

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William P Franques<wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Thu, May 26, 2016 at 12:45 AM
Subject: LSU EARNS 5-3, 14-INNING WIN OVER TOP-RANKED FLORIDA IN LONGEST GAME IN SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY (box score attached; recap below)
To:




LSU Baseball Report

For Immediate Release – May 26, 2016


LSU EARNS 5-3, 14-INNING WIN OVER TOP-RANKED FLORIDA IN LONGEST GAME IN SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY


HOOVER, Ala. – LSU pinch hitter Jordan Romero lined an RBI single in the top of the 14th inning Thursday morning to provide the winning run as the seventh-ranked Tigers defeated top-ranked Florida, 5-3, in 14 innings in the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.


The game, which began at 8:41 p.m. CT on Wednesday, was played in five hours and seven minutes, marking the longest contest in SEC Tournament history. The game ended at 1:48 a.m. on Thursday.


LSU (41-17) advances to the winnners’ bracket to face Mississippi State at approximately 8 p.m. on Thursday. Florida (44-12) will face Alabama in an elimination game at approximately 1 p.m. Thursday.


The LSU-Mississippi State game will be televised by the SEC Network, and it can be heard on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network. Live audio and live stats wil be available at www.LSUsports.net.


LSU has now defeated No. 1 Florida three times within the past week. The Tigers won two of three games over the Gators to close the regular season last weekend in Baton Rouge.


LSU designated hitter Bryce Jordan led off the LSU 14th inning by reaching on a throwing error by Florida shortstop Dalton Guthrie. Jordan was forced out at second on third baseman Chris Reid’s fielder’s choice grounder, but Reid advanced to second on a walk issued by Florida reliever Kirby Snead to centerfielder Brennan Breaux.


Snead struck out first baseman Greg Deichmann, but Romero, pinch hitting for catcher Michael Papierski, smacked a single into right field to score Reid with the go-ahead run. Romero had been hitless in his 18 previous at-bats prior to the game-winning single.


Second baseman Cole Freeman provided an insurance run for the Tigers with a flare into center field to score Breaux.


“I don’t even know how to describe it,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I could recap the whole game but there were so many ebbs and flows that I’m not sure describing it would do it justice. Suffice to say that just when you think your team shows you all that they can possibly show you, they reach inside and find something about themselves that just shows a level of determination and grit that is almost unsurpassed. A lesser team would have been so demoralized after losing the lead in the ninth inning. We just kept battling and battling.”


LSU erased a 2-0 deficit in the eighth capped by Jordan’s RBI single to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Florida, however, tied the game in the ninth on a two-out run-scoring single by second baseman Deacon Liput against LSU closer Hunter Newman.


LSU reliever Jesse Stallings (3-0) turned in the longest outing of his career to earn the win. Stallings entered the game in relief of Newman in the 10th and fired five shutout innings, allowing just two hits while throwing 64 pitches.


Right-hander Alex Lange gave LSU a quality start, working seven innings and limiting the Gators to two runs on five hits with three walks and a season-high 11 strikeouts.


“Jesse Stallings was remarkable and Romero came off the bench to get the big hit,” Mainieri said. “Without Newman pitching so well, Lange doing what he did, and without the clutch hits, we wouldn’t have been in that situation. It’s an amazing total team effort. I’m just happy it’s over. It only counts as one win but it sure feels like more than that.”


The Gators grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Lange, as designated hitter JJ Schwarz belted a run-scoring double and centerfielder Buddy Reed lined an RBI triple.


Florida starter A.J. Puk kept the Tigers off the scoreboard through the first seven innings before the Tigers broke through in the eighth with a three-run rally capped by Jordan’s go-ahead single.


---30---

Bill Franques

LSU Athletics

Athletic Administration Building

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Cell: 225.241.4359

Office: 225.578.2527

wfranqu@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

FORMER CARAVEL STAR PLAYING AT LSU


———- Forwarded message ———-
From: William P Franques <wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2016 at 10:51 PM
Subject: LSU 7, UTAH VALLEY 1 (box score attached; recap below)
To:

LSU Baseball Report

For Immediate Release – June 4, 2016


LSU DEFEATS UTAH VALLEY, 7-1, IN GAME 1 OF NCAA BATON ROUGE REGIONAL



BATON ROUGE, La. — Following more than six hours of delays for heavy rain and lightning at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field, the fifth-ranked LSU baseball team built an early lead and advanced in the NCAA Regional with a 7-1 win over Utah Valley late Friday.



LSU (43-18), which won its 27th-consecutive regional opening game, capitalized on six solid innings of work by starter Jared Poche’ (8-4) and will face the

winner of second-seeded Rice and third-seeded Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday.



Friday’s Game 2 between the Owls and Lions was postponed until 9 a.m. CT Saturday due to the late start (8:34 p.m.) of Game 1 on Friday. Utah Valley (37-22), making its NCAA Tournament debut, will face the loser of the SLU-Rice game at 2 p.m. Saturday.



LIve video of all games in the Baton Rouge Regional are available via www.ESPN3.com.



LSU, the NCAA Tournament No. 8 National Seed, had a 28-16 record on April 30 and has now won 15 of its last 17 games.



“I just thought it was a really solid performance again by our team in every way, very reminiscent of our game against Mississippi State at the SEC Tournament,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I thought Jared (Poche’) set the tone. He pitched great all night in typical fashion, wiggled out of a couple of jams with some clutch pitches. We had a lot of great at-bats. We knocked out their starting pitcher, who we knew he had a good arm, a big strong guy. We had some really good at-bats, clutch hitting. We just kind of strung a lot of singles together to get some runs.”



Poche’ (9-4) allowed only one run on five hits with a career-best eight strikeouts and no walks. Three Tigers –Jake Latz, Russell Reynolds and John Valek III – were nearly perfect in relief, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts in the final three innings.



Poche’, who has won at least eight games in each of this three seasons, improved his career mark at LSU to 26-9.



“Our bullpen did a terrific job,” Mainieri said. “It was really a good workmanlike performance in our first game. I didn’t think our young players who have not played in the postseason showed any nerves at all. I thought they played just like they have been playing all year, especially at the tail end of the year. It was a good start for us. We have a lot of work to do, but it was a good way to start the tournament.”


Ten Tigers — including all nine starters — had hits, as LSU scored in the first three frames to open a 4-1 lead. Home runs by Jake Fraley – a 428-foot blast to right field in the first inning – and Greg Deichmannin the seventh were too much for the Wolverines to overcome.



Deichmann was 2-for-4 with three RBI, while shortstopKramer Robertson was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.



Utah Valley starter Danny Beddes (9-4) took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in three innings with three walks and four strikeouts.

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William P Franques <wfranqu@lsu.edu>
Date: Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 9:59 PM
Subject: LSU OUTFIELDER JAKE FRALEY SELECTED IN MLB DRAFT BY TAMPA BAY RAYS
To:


LSU Baseball Report
For Immediate Release - June 8, 2016

LSU OUTFIELDER JAKE FRALEY SELECTED IN MLB DRAFT BY TAMPA BAY RAYS
BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU junior outfielder Jake Fraley was selected in the second round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft late Thursday night by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Fraley, a native of Middletown, Del., was officially taken in Lottery Round B, which occurs at the end of the second round. Fraley was the 77th overall selection of the draft, which began Thursday with the first and second rounds.

The draft continues at Noon CT Friday with Rounds 3-10 and concludes Saturday with Rounds 11-40 beginning at 11 a.m. CT.

A three-year starter in the LSU outfield, Fraley is hitting .324 (84-for-259) this season with 10 doubles, five triples, five homers, 35 RBI, 59 runs and 28 steals in 37 attempts.

Fraley is No. 1 in the SEC in stolen bases, No. 3 in the league in runs scored, No. 4 in triples and No. 6 in base hits. Fraley’s 28 steals this season is the eighth-best single-season total in LSU history. He has 59 career stolen bases and is No. 7 on LSU’s all-time steals list.

Fraley was named earlier this week to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team, batting .375 (6-for16) with one double, two homers, four RBI and five runs scored, as he helped lead LSU to this weekend’s NCAA Super Regional series versus Coastal Carolina.

He posted a 17-game hitting streak from April 24-May 21, batting .343 (24-for-70) during the streak with three doubles, one triple, two homers, 10 RBI, 15 runs and five stolen bases.

Fraley enters this weekend’s NCAA Super Regional with a .327 (198-for-605) career batting average, 28 doubles, 11 triples, 10 home runs and 140 runs scored. He has played in 171 games at LSU with 147 starts.
---30---
Bill Franques
LSU Athletics
Athletics Administration Bldg.
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
225.578.2527 (office)
225.241.4359 (cell)
225.578.1861 (fax)
wfranqu@lsu.edu

 

[dawrestling]

FUI on former Delaware Military Athletic Tyler Hill
Pitching Does In Spinners
Staff walks seven in 8-3 defeat

NORWICH, CT – The Connecticut Tigers took advantage of the Lowell Spinners’ pitching staff’s inability to throw strikes, scoring four runs in the sixth to break open a close game and secure a 8-3 victory on Wednesday night.

For the Spinners, it was their first loss on the road in 2016.

For the second night in a row, Lowell (10-3) opened the scoring, as Tyler Hill returned to the lineup after a night off with a single, promptly stole second and scored on a single by Roldani Baldwin.

However, Connecticut (7-6) answered in the home half of the inning on an RBI groundout to tie the game.

Yoan Aybar took the lead back in the second as he crushed an 0-2 fastball deep over the right field wall for his first homerun of the season.

The Tigers finally took advantage of Spinner starter Enmanuel DeJesus’s inability to hit the strike zone in the fourth as two of the first three batters reached via base on balls and then scored on a base hit to left as Baldwin threw the ball away on the relay from left field. The next batter singled to push across the Tigers’ fourth run.

The wheels fell off for the Spinners in the sixth as the bullpen allowed four runs on an error by Carlos Tovar and a bases-loaded double off of reliever Brad Stone.

Lowell earned one back in the seventh as Tovar was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a single by Nick Lovullo and scored on a Chris Madera base hit to right field.

DeJesus (2-1, 2.04), who had allowed just one earned run in his first two starts and walked just two batters in 13-plus innings, walked four in just four innings, putting himself in jams in the third and fourth with his struggles to throw strikes. Casey Janssen, a former major league reliever just signed to a minor league contract by the Red Sox, allowed three runs in an inning and a third and Stone, after a rocky start, retired the last four batters he faced.

Lovullo led the offense for the second in as many nights, picking up two hits from the bottom of the order and raising his average over the past three days from .167 to .258.

Lowell looks to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow night as Kevin Steen (0-0, 3.00) takes the hill. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.

--
Connor Sullivan
Creative Services Representative
Lowell Spinners
(978) 805-5115

 

[dawrestling]

-Information on former St.Marks product Chris Murphy

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jake Levy <jake@riverbandits.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 13, 2016 at 7:36 PM
Subject: BANDITS BLANKED BY FORT WAYNE IN SERIES OPENER
To: Jake Levy <jake@riverbandits.com>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2016Media Contact: Jake Levy
(563) 333-2727jake@riverbandits.com

BANDITS BLANKED BY FORT WAYNE IN SERIES OPENER
Five-run sixth inning sinks River Bandits in ninth shutout loss of the season
FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- A five-run sixth inning buried the Quad Cities River Bandits in a 6-0 loss to the Fort Wayne TinCaps Wednesday night at Parkview Field. Myles Straw and Pat Porter each had two hits, providing the only four knocks of the game for Quad Cities in the series opener. Yoanys Quiala had retired ten consecutive batters prior to his troublesome sixth inning, in which he was charged for all five runs.
The River Bandits (10-10, 41-48) were blanked for the ninth time this season, including all three series openers on the road against Eastern Division opponents. The TinCaps (9-11, 45-45) went 6-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the game, a bulk of which came in the five-run sixth frame.
Nine-hole hitter Peter Van Gansen led off the sixth with a single to center, snapping a streak of ten consecutive hitters retired by Quiala. Kodie Tidwell was able to land a two-strike sacrifice bunt before an eruption of five straight hits launched a five-run inning for Fort Wayne. Tyler Moore hit a lazer double off the left field wall to plate the first run before three more RBI knocks furthered the advantage. The final hit in the inning was a grounder that was ruled fair over the third-base bag for a ground rule double, plating two runs. River Bandits manager Omar Lopez was ejected for arguing the ball was foul.
Quiala (1-7) was charged with all five earned runs. Despite five outstanding innings prior to the meltdown, Quiala's final line read 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts. He did not issue a walk. The San Diego Padres' recent acquisition Chris Paddack went five scoreless innings, surrendering two hits while striking out nine and walking one. At one point he retired 14 straight batters, but took no decision. Corey Kimber (2-0) got the win for three scoreless innings, allowing two hits.
The TinCaps final run came on a solo home run in the eighth inning from Brad Zunica, who was the first batter to face Chris Murphy. Murphy bounced back to get soft outs from the next three hitters. Makay Nelson tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief for Quad Cities and Osvaldo Duarte had his nine-game hitting streak snapped one game short of tying both his and the River Bandits season-long hit streak. Straw doubled to lead off the game, but was stranded. After that two-bagger, the next 14 hitters were retired before Porter broke up the streak with a single to center.
Quad Cities is still winless against Fort Wayne since 2013. They look to break that stretch and even the series Thursday in game two of the series. Matt Bower (2-0) gets the ball for Quad Cities against Thomas Dorminy (2-2) for Fort Wayne. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. CT and you can join Jake Levy for the radio broadcast, starting with the LLOYD Agencies Pregame Show at 5:50 on 1170 AM K-BOB, riverbandits.com and the TuneIn app.


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Jake Levy | Director of Media Relations
"Voice of the Quad Cities River Bandits"
Class-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros
Six-Time Midwest League Champions:
1968 | 1971 | 1979 | 1990 | 2011 | 2013Phone: (563) 333-2727 | Cell: (856) 304-7008