AUBURN - Now that's how you start a season.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
After tagging up at third, Doubledays' third baseman Jon Del Campo is caught at home for the second out of the fourth inning at Falcon Park Thursday night. The Doubledays defeated the Muckdogs 7-0.
After tagging up at third, Doubledays' third baseman Jon Del Campo is caught at home for the second out of the fourth inning at Falcon Park Thursday night. The Doubledays defeated the Muckdogs 7-0.
The Auburn Doubledays put an exclamation point to their first series of the year, emphatically sweeping Batavia with a 7-0 win at Falcon Park on Thursday.
With the shutout victory, the Doubledays outscored the Muckdogs 17-3 overall as they advanced to 3-0 on the season.
“I'm very pleased with everyone's production out there,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said.
“I don't know that there's anything you can be disappointed about in these first three games.”
In the second straight contest, Auburn's defense was flawless, with no errors. The pitching unit was even better, as five of them - including Liverpool native Jimmy Dougher - combined to hold Batavia to just three hits. “I thought they were all just outstanding,” Holmberg said. “The starters, the bullpen -everybody's coming in under their pitch counts. The game starts and ends with pitching.”
Scott Leffler, who came to Auburn late last season in the team's title run, earned the win - pitching 2 1-3 innings behind starter Evan Crawford, who lasted 2 2-3.
Dougher succeeded Leffler in his first outing in Auburn, fanning just seven batters in two innings and throwing four strikeouts in front of a large group of his family and friends.
“I was really just hitting my spots out there,” Dougher said. “I threw a couple of curveballs that were pretty good and I threw my changeup.”
Frank Gailey toed the rubber next, striking out one of three batters in the seventh inning.
Matt Daly came in for the top of the ninth, allowing a hit, but otherwise concluding a great array of pitching.
The quintet combined for 10 strikeouts and saw just 10 baserunners.
Batavia loaded the bases twice, but Crawford and Leffler were able to get out of each jam unscathed.
“We've just all been doing a really good job of throwing strikes,” Dougher said of his team's effort on the mound. “Our philosophy is just to put the ball in play. We stuck to that and it really worked out well.”
Offensively, the Doubledays began slowly, but exploded in the fifth inning and racked up 13 hits overall.
Leance Soto brought in the first run on a line drive double in the fourth, and shortstop Bryan Kervin soon followed suit with an RBI single to score Soto.
Auburn came away with four hits in the fifth, paced by Bartolo Nicolas with an RBI double and Jon Del Campo with a two-run double.
Catcher Joel Collins also chipped in with an infield single to score Del Campo.
With the lead already well in hand in the eighth, designated hitter Adam Amar crushed the team's first home run of the season - a solo shot over the left field wall that likely ended up in Casey Park.
For a player that was undrafted and played in an independent league last season, the 2-for-5 effort with the team's first big hit was a long time coming.
“It felt awesome,” the Florida native said.
“I feel like all the hard work I've done throughout my career has paid off. I feel like I've been swinging the ball pretty well so far, swinging at good pitches and I was fortunate enough to get good wood on the ball twice.”
“He had a great extended spring training,” Holmberg said of Amar.
“He's persevered through being the odd man out. He's hit the ball well so far.”
Though he didn't drive in any runs, David Cooper also managed two hits, as did Nicolas, Del Campo and Collins.
Nicolas left the game in a scary moment in the seventh when he was hit in the face by a pitch thrown by Syracuse native George Brown.
The fastball got away from Brown and hit Nicolas in the mouth area.
After lying face down at home plate for a couple of minutes, he walked off the field on his own.
“It could have been a whole lot worse,” Holmberg said. “He's got a swollen upper lip, but he seems fine.”
Muckdogs starter Miguel Topia got the loss, despite a solid beginning.
Topia lasted four innings, allowed three hits but no strikeouts in his first outing of his Class A career.
Batavia designated hitter Chris Swager earned two of the team's three hits, while Colt Sedbrook got a single in the first inning.
“(The sweep) feels pretty great right now,” Amar said. “Our pitching has done an unbelievable job, we've played great defense all three games and we've had timely hitting. When you have all three of those things, it's going to be hard to lose.”
Notes: Five batters were hit by a pitch in the game, with Doubledays' pitchers throwing three of them. ...Nine players advanced on base on balls, Batavia pitchers walked five. ...After eight errors in the first two games, Batavia was only charged with one on Thursday. ...Both teams each stranded 10 runners on the bags. ...Auburn has yet to score in the first, second or seventh innings this year. ...The Muckdogs defeated the Doubledays 7-0 in Auburn to begin last season and since then, the Doubledays have taken 13-of-14 against their thruway rivals.
D-days Today
Record: 3-0
Standings: First place
Streak: 3 wins
Next: at State College, today, 7 p.m.
With the shutout victory, the Doubledays outscored the Muckdogs 17-3 overall as they advanced to 3-0 on the season.
“I'm very pleased with everyone's production out there,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said.
“I don't know that there's anything you can be disappointed about in these first three games.”
In the second straight contest, Auburn's defense was flawless, with no errors. The pitching unit was even better, as five of them - including Liverpool native Jimmy Dougher - combined to hold Batavia to just three hits. “I thought they were all just outstanding,” Holmberg said. “The starters, the bullpen -everybody's coming in under their pitch counts. The game starts and ends with pitching.”
Scott Leffler, who came to Auburn late last season in the team's title run, earned the win - pitching 2 1-3 innings behind starter Evan Crawford, who lasted 2 2-3.
Dougher succeeded Leffler in his first outing in Auburn, fanning just seven batters in two innings and throwing four strikeouts in front of a large group of his family and friends.
“I was really just hitting my spots out there,” Dougher said. “I threw a couple of curveballs that were pretty good and I threw my changeup.”
Frank Gailey toed the rubber next, striking out one of three batters in the seventh inning.
Matt Daly came in for the top of the ninth, allowing a hit, but otherwise concluding a great array of pitching.
The quintet combined for 10 strikeouts and saw just 10 baserunners.
Batavia loaded the bases twice, but Crawford and Leffler were able to get out of each jam unscathed.
“We've just all been doing a really good job of throwing strikes,” Dougher said of his team's effort on the mound. “Our philosophy is just to put the ball in play. We stuck to that and it really worked out well.”
Offensively, the Doubledays began slowly, but exploded in the fifth inning and racked up 13 hits overall.
Leance Soto brought in the first run on a line drive double in the fourth, and shortstop Bryan Kervin soon followed suit with an RBI single to score Soto.
Auburn came away with four hits in the fifth, paced by Bartolo Nicolas with an RBI double and Jon Del Campo with a two-run double.
Catcher Joel Collins also chipped in with an infield single to score Del Campo.
With the lead already well in hand in the eighth, designated hitter Adam Amar crushed the team's first home run of the season - a solo shot over the left field wall that likely ended up in Casey Park.
For a player that was undrafted and played in an independent league last season, the 2-for-5 effort with the team's first big hit was a long time coming.
“It felt awesome,” the Florida native said.
“I feel like all the hard work I've done throughout my career has paid off. I feel like I've been swinging the ball pretty well so far, swinging at good pitches and I was fortunate enough to get good wood on the ball twice.”
“He had a great extended spring training,” Holmberg said of Amar.
“He's persevered through being the odd man out. He's hit the ball well so far.”
Though he didn't drive in any runs, David Cooper also managed two hits, as did Nicolas, Del Campo and Collins.
Nicolas left the game in a scary moment in the seventh when he was hit in the face by a pitch thrown by Syracuse native George Brown.
The fastball got away from Brown and hit Nicolas in the mouth area.
After lying face down at home plate for a couple of minutes, he walked off the field on his own.
“It could have been a whole lot worse,” Holmberg said. “He's got a swollen upper lip, but he seems fine.”
Muckdogs starter Miguel Topia got the loss, despite a solid beginning.
Topia lasted four innings, allowed three hits but no strikeouts in his first outing of his Class A career.
Batavia designated hitter Chris Swager earned two of the team's three hits, while Colt Sedbrook got a single in the first inning.
“(The sweep) feels pretty great right now,” Amar said. “Our pitching has done an unbelievable job, we've played great defense all three games and we've had timely hitting. When you have all three of those things, it's going to be hard to lose.”
Notes: Five batters were hit by a pitch in the game, with Doubledays' pitchers throwing three of them. ...Nine players advanced on base on balls, Batavia pitchers walked five. ...After eight errors in the first two games, Batavia was only charged with one on Thursday. ...Both teams each stranded 10 runners on the bags. ...Auburn has yet to score in the first, second or seventh innings this year. ...The Muckdogs defeated the Doubledays 7-0 in Auburn to begin last season and since then, the Doubledays have taken 13-of-14 against their thruway rivals.
D-days Today
Record: 3-0
Standings: First place
Streak: 3 wins
Next: at State College, today, 7 p.m.
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