AUBURN - To take one of the best hitters out of the lineup is never an easy choice for a manager to make. Fortunately for the Auburn Doubledays, they have a plethora of sluggers to choose from.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Auburn's David Cooper drives a pitch for one of his four hits against State College during Saturday's game at Falcon Park.
Auburn's David Cooper drives a pitch for one of his four hits against State College during Saturday's game at Falcon Park.
For only the second time on the current six-game homestand, the Doubledays were without Adam Amar - one of the hottest hitters on the team. Amar earned a night's rest after belting out six hits in the last three games, but in what is surely a coincidence, some slight shuffling in the lineup aided the Doubledays in a breakout offensive performance at Falcon Park.
Auburn racked up 15 hits in the 11-3 rubber match win over State College on Saturday, but 14 of those connections came from the first four batters in the lineup. For the second straight night, the Doubledays spotted the Spikes a run early and managed to pound out the runs after that.
Josh Wells had a bit of a shaky start on the hill for Auburn, allowing a Ciro Rosero double with his second throw. Matt Payne drove in Rosero two batters later on a sacrifice fly, but the Spikes lead would not even last 10 minutes. Bartolo Nicolas, who jumped up to the leadoff spot on Friday night, and Chris Demons roped back-to-back singles before first baseman David Cooper advanced them both on a long sacrifice fly to center field.
That was all before left fielder Brian Van Kirk tore Emilis Guerrero's third pitch into the grass over the right field wall - his second home run of the season.
“Taking Adam Amar out of the lineup wasn't easy,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “He's a threat. But Bartolo has been hitting well and in the cleanup spot, Van Kirk turned out pretty good too. Some people will call me a genius, some people will call me worse than that.”
Genius may suffice for now, as Nicolas went 4-for-5 with four runs scored. Van Kirk wreaked his own havoc on the Spikes with three hits, two runs scored and five RBIs. He was a triple short of the cycle, an extra-base hit he probably could have earned in the fifth inning, but settled for an RBI double that deflected over the center field wall.
“I had the triple, but I stopped at second,” said the Florida native. “I originally thought it was either a home run or a sacrifice fly. I tried to run fast, but I didn't know it bounced so far off the wall. When I looked up, (Quincy Latimore) was already facing me so I thought he already threw it. Oh well, better safe than sorry.”
In the No. 2 spot, speedy Chris Demons thrived in his new location, with three hits, two runs and two RBIs off a line drive triple in the sixth inning. The third spot, which hasn't changed for the Doubledays since opening day, remained Cooper's as he blasted four hits in five at-bats, with two runs scored and two more RBIs in the sweltering heat.
“About a week ago, the first five guys were 0-for-18,” Holmberg said. “But when you get that kind of production from the first three, four, five guys in the lineup, it's always great.”
Though most of the offense played a big part in the team's second straight win, those four players made Josh Wells job - getting his third win in as many starts - as easy as a walk in the park.
“It's weird,” Wells said. “Three starts and I'm 3-0. I'm not trying to do too much - just keep the ball down, make ground balls and do my job. I let the other boys do the work.”
With three runs scored in the first, another hat trick to complete the third and yet another insurance run in the sixth hardly caused Wells to sweat over his performance. He fanned two batters, saw eight baserunners and allowed three runs when the Spikes scored twice more in the sixth.
“It got easy towards the sixth inning,” he said. “I was just getting tired. I think the sleeves were a bad idea, so that might have been a part of it though.”
“Josh came into extended spring training last year and got hurt,” Holmberg said of his ace. “He came back to extended this year and he was in a graduating course of a little bit here and there, to the point where he can throw 65, 70 pitches. He hadn't thrown with that much consistency down there, so I'm very happy, proud and pleased that he's thrown this well and is 3-0. He's still learning the ropes, but it's nice to get off to a good start.”
Guerreri suffered his first loss to even his record at 1-1. The Dominican Republic native allowed nine hits, seven runs and fanned four in five innings on the hill. Brian Leach didn't fare much better in relief, allowing six Doubledays hits and one run in the next 2 2-3 innings.
Ryan Page came in after Wells' 5 1-3 of work to allow just one hit and throw two strikeouts in his 2 2-3 on the mound. Matt Daly threw lights out in the ninth, getting in just a handful of pitches as David Rubenstein and Cole White struck out looking and Chad Rice flew out to Van Kirk to end the game.
“It's a good feeling, to get a winning streak before going on this road trip for six games, ”Van Kirk said. “To get the feeling and the confidence of winning again is good.”
Notes: Both of Van Kirk's home runs have been to right field, with two runners on and one out - “I'm not complaining,” he said. “I'll take it.” ... None of the six pitchers in the game walked a batter, but Collins reached base in the sixth when Leach hit him with a pitch. ...The 15 hits were the second most by a Doubledays team this season, they tallied 16 in State College last week.
D-days Today
Record: 8-4
Standings: Second place, .5-game back
Streak: 2 wins
Next: at Mahoning Valley, 7 p.m.
Auburn racked up 15 hits in the 11-3 rubber match win over State College on Saturday, but 14 of those connections came from the first four batters in the lineup. For the second straight night, the Doubledays spotted the Spikes a run early and managed to pound out the runs after that.
Josh Wells had a bit of a shaky start on the hill for Auburn, allowing a Ciro Rosero double with his second throw. Matt Payne drove in Rosero two batters later on a sacrifice fly, but the Spikes lead would not even last 10 minutes. Bartolo Nicolas, who jumped up to the leadoff spot on Friday night, and Chris Demons roped back-to-back singles before first baseman David Cooper advanced them both on a long sacrifice fly to center field.
That was all before left fielder Brian Van Kirk tore Emilis Guerrero's third pitch into the grass over the right field wall - his second home run of the season.
“Taking Adam Amar out of the lineup wasn't easy,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “He's a threat. But Bartolo has been hitting well and in the cleanup spot, Van Kirk turned out pretty good too. Some people will call me a genius, some people will call me worse than that.”
Genius may suffice for now, as Nicolas went 4-for-5 with four runs scored. Van Kirk wreaked his own havoc on the Spikes with three hits, two runs scored and five RBIs. He was a triple short of the cycle, an extra-base hit he probably could have earned in the fifth inning, but settled for an RBI double that deflected over the center field wall.
“I had the triple, but I stopped at second,” said the Florida native. “I originally thought it was either a home run or a sacrifice fly. I tried to run fast, but I didn't know it bounced so far off the wall. When I looked up, (Quincy Latimore) was already facing me so I thought he already threw it. Oh well, better safe than sorry.”
In the No. 2 spot, speedy Chris Demons thrived in his new location, with three hits, two runs and two RBIs off a line drive triple in the sixth inning. The third spot, which hasn't changed for the Doubledays since opening day, remained Cooper's as he blasted four hits in five at-bats, with two runs scored and two more RBIs in the sweltering heat.
“About a week ago, the first five guys were 0-for-18,” Holmberg said. “But when you get that kind of production from the first three, four, five guys in the lineup, it's always great.”
Though most of the offense played a big part in the team's second straight win, those four players made Josh Wells job - getting his third win in as many starts - as easy as a walk in the park.
“It's weird,” Wells said. “Three starts and I'm 3-0. I'm not trying to do too much - just keep the ball down, make ground balls and do my job. I let the other boys do the work.”
With three runs scored in the first, another hat trick to complete the third and yet another insurance run in the sixth hardly caused Wells to sweat over his performance. He fanned two batters, saw eight baserunners and allowed three runs when the Spikes scored twice more in the sixth.
“It got easy towards the sixth inning,” he said. “I was just getting tired. I think the sleeves were a bad idea, so that might have been a part of it though.”
“Josh came into extended spring training last year and got hurt,” Holmberg said of his ace. “He came back to extended this year and he was in a graduating course of a little bit here and there, to the point where he can throw 65, 70 pitches. He hadn't thrown with that much consistency down there, so I'm very happy, proud and pleased that he's thrown this well and is 3-0. He's still learning the ropes, but it's nice to get off to a good start.”
Guerreri suffered his first loss to even his record at 1-1. The Dominican Republic native allowed nine hits, seven runs and fanned four in five innings on the hill. Brian Leach didn't fare much better in relief, allowing six Doubledays hits and one run in the next 2 2-3 innings.
Ryan Page came in after Wells' 5 1-3 of work to allow just one hit and throw two strikeouts in his 2 2-3 on the mound. Matt Daly threw lights out in the ninth, getting in just a handful of pitches as David Rubenstein and Cole White struck out looking and Chad Rice flew out to Van Kirk to end the game.
“It's a good feeling, to get a winning streak before going on this road trip for six games, ”Van Kirk said. “To get the feeling and the confidence of winning again is good.”
Notes: Both of Van Kirk's home runs have been to right field, with two runners on and one out - “I'm not complaining,” he said. “I'll take it.” ... None of the six pitchers in the game walked a batter, but Collins reached base in the sixth when Leach hit him with a pitch. ...The 15 hits were the second most by a Doubledays team this season, they tallied 16 in State College last week.
D-days Today
Record: 8-4
Standings: Second place, .5-game back
Streak: 2 wins
Next: at Mahoning Valley, 7 p.m.
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