AUBURN - In clinching the Pinckney Division with a week left in the season, manager Dennis Holmberg and the Auburn Doubledays now have the luxury of fine-tuning their game before Friday#'s playoff opener.
That means resting players like Cory Patton and Ryan Patterson, who have played through a hot summer and giving role players like Matt Cooksey a chance to shake the rust off by playing nine innings instead of just a couple. It also means those in charge of the soundtrack at the park can find just the right music to introduce batters as they walk to the plate.
With a .309 average coming into the game, catcher Brian Bormaster showed why they play "You're the Best,#" the signature song from "The Karate Kid,"as he makes his way to the plate. His four-hit night highlighted the Doubledays' 4-1 win Monday over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
By the time Bormaster made his first appearance at the plate, the Doubledays were already ahead 2-0, thanks to Joey Metropoulos and Nick Thomas, who started the second inning with back-to-back home runs off Mahoning Valley starter Kevin Dixon (3-6). Bormaster singled and later scored from third on a grounder by Jesus Gonzalez to give Auburn a 3-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Randy Dicken (4-2) and reliever Edward Rodriguez held the Scrappers scoreless through the game#'s first six innings. Mahoning Valley scored its lone run on a fielder#'s choice after Rodriguez gave up three singles to load the bases in the seventh.
Dicken was helped by Cooksey#'s diving catch of Scrappers' second baseman Matt Fornasiere's drive to deep left-center field leading off the fourth.
The 32nd-round draft pick from George Mason University, who has been starting in the outfield in order to give Patton and Patterson some time off, dove and caught the ball just in front of the outfield fence after making a long run from straightaway center field.
"(Leftfielder) Jacob Butler was playing in, so I knew it was going to be over his head,#" said Cooksey, who reached base three times as the Doubledays#' leadoff man. "I just took off running, called him off and I looked up and just happened to be there.#"
Holmberg said it was one of the best plays by an Auburn outfielder all year.
"It#'s right up there," he said. "He made a couple of nice plays tonight. He#'s an above average outfielder. (In the playoffs) you never know if he might have to step in there and play."
Right fielder Brian Pettway drove in the Doubledays' final run of the game.
Adrian Martin and Paul Phillips each worked perfect innings to close the game. Phillips notched his 13th save of the year.
With a .309 average coming into the game, catcher Brian Bormaster showed why they play "You're the Best,#" the signature song from "The Karate Kid,"as he makes his way to the plate. His four-hit night highlighted the Doubledays' 4-1 win Monday over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
By the time Bormaster made his first appearance at the plate, the Doubledays were already ahead 2-0, thanks to Joey Metropoulos and Nick Thomas, who started the second inning with back-to-back home runs off Mahoning Valley starter Kevin Dixon (3-6). Bormaster singled and later scored from third on a grounder by Jesus Gonzalez to give Auburn a 3-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Randy Dicken (4-2) and reliever Edward Rodriguez held the Scrappers scoreless through the game#'s first six innings. Mahoning Valley scored its lone run on a fielder#'s choice after Rodriguez gave up three singles to load the bases in the seventh.
Dicken was helped by Cooksey#'s diving catch of Scrappers' second baseman Matt Fornasiere's drive to deep left-center field leading off the fourth.
The 32nd-round draft pick from George Mason University, who has been starting in the outfield in order to give Patton and Patterson some time off, dove and caught the ball just in front of the outfield fence after making a long run from straightaway center field.
"(Leftfielder) Jacob Butler was playing in, so I knew it was going to be over his head,#" said Cooksey, who reached base three times as the Doubledays#' leadoff man. "I just took off running, called him off and I looked up and just happened to be there.#"
Holmberg said it was one of the best plays by an Auburn outfielder all year.
"It#'s right up there," he said. "He made a couple of nice plays tonight. He#'s an above average outfielder. (In the playoffs) you never know if he might have to step in there and play."
Right fielder Brian Pettway drove in the Doubledays' final run of the game.
Adrian Martin and Paul Phillips each worked perfect innings to close the game. Phillips notched his 13th save of the year.
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