AUBURN - There aren't many better ways end a weekend.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Auburn third baseman Mark Sobolewski looks to make a back handed grab on a ball that would be later called a foul. Auburn's defensive effort shined in its shutout win over Jamestown.
Auburn third baseman Mark Sobolewski looks to make a back handed grab on a ball that would be later called a foul. Auburn's defensive effort shined in its shutout win over Jamestown.
The Auburn Doubledays capped off a perfect two day span by blanking first place Jamestown 3-0 at Falcon Park on Sunday.
The win came on the heels of a 10-0 drubbing of Williamsport on Saturday.
The Doubledays totaled 26 hits in the two crucial wins, and now are just two games behind the Jammers in the Pinckney Division.
“They're always a tough team, every time we play them,” Doubledays first baseman Mike McDade said. “They're always fighting back, so I knew it's be a close game.”
Castillo Perez threw five terrific innings for the win and McDade provided most of the offense in Auburn's second straight win.
Perez earned his third win for a .500 record after allowing just four hits and two walks, while striking out three for the victory.
He hasn't lost in his last five starts.
“Good pitching usually stops good hitting,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “Perez has been pitching extremely well lately.” Guery Ramirez started off well on the mound for the Jammers, but lasted just four innings after allowing seven of the Doubledays' 11 hits in that span.
McDade earned the only hit of the first two frames, until he broke open a two run single in the third with two outs to score Chris Demons and Bartolo Nicolas.
McDade paced Auburn at the plate, with a 3-for-4 night. The only blip on his night was striking out looking in the seventh.
“I was just looking for an offspeed, anything, but it was just a mental lapse on that last one,” McDade said of his near perfect night.
Adam Amar smacked an RBI single to score Nicolas in the fifth to complete a score that seemed much more lopsided than just three runs.
Auburn stranded eight runners, but with the way its defense was playing, it didn't seem to matter.
Jamestown managed just six hits, but its offense seemed to find a wall at every turn.
Doubledays catcher Joel Collins threw out Kevin Mattison at second base in the first after Mattison reached on a leadoff walk.
With two outs and Justin Bass in scoring position in the fifth, McDade made a quick decision from first and threw out Bass at home after Mattison earned an infield single.
In the next four innings, the Doubledays turned two double plays, including one to end the game and give Bobby Bell his seventh save of the season.
With all of the defensive highlights, however, none can compare to the one that came as just the first out in the eighth inning.
Second baseman Carlos Vasquez, who was a late addition to the lineup after a shoulder injury to Jon Del Campo, ran full speed after a routine foul fly ball hit by Bass.
With McDade and Nicolas also chasing the seemingly catchable ball, it was Vasquez who came up with the amazing catch, that ended with him reaching, falling and making the grab head first over the fence along the first base line.
“Pitching and defense wins ballgames and it was all of that tonight,” Holmberg said.
“I made the decision to give (Del Campo) the game off after the lineup had been made. I thought on that catch, that McDade had a better play on it, but it was like reliving DV Plaza all over again.”
Hunter Moody was also a big part of the defensive effort for Auburn.
The Doubledays' newest player threw three strikeouts and allowed one hit in his three innings of work in relief of Perez.
“Hunter has been lights out since he got here,” Holmberg said.
“And as far as Bobby Bell goes, it's been like a horse race. The gates go up, the horses start out, everybody's kind of jockeying for position, they all get a chance to do this and do that and he's kind of broken away from everybody else.”
The Doubledays complete their important two game series with the Jammers at 7 p.m. today.
Notes: Nicolas, Amar and Collins each contributed two hits in the win. ... The shutout win was the fifth of the season for the Doubledays. ... Auburn has now taken three of four against the Jammers this season. ... After today, the Doubledays host just one more game this week, against Batavia on Thursday. ... The Doubledays are now 23-0 this season when they have the lead after eight innings. ... When they get 10 hits or more, they are 16-4 this year.
Doubledays 3
Jammers 0
The win came on the heels of a 10-0 drubbing of Williamsport on Saturday.
The Doubledays totaled 26 hits in the two crucial wins, and now are just two games behind the Jammers in the Pinckney Division.
“They're always a tough team, every time we play them,” Doubledays first baseman Mike McDade said. “They're always fighting back, so I knew it's be a close game.”
Castillo Perez threw five terrific innings for the win and McDade provided most of the offense in Auburn's second straight win.
Perez earned his third win for a .500 record after allowing just four hits and two walks, while striking out three for the victory.
He hasn't lost in his last five starts.
“Good pitching usually stops good hitting,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “Perez has been pitching extremely well lately.” Guery Ramirez started off well on the mound for the Jammers, but lasted just four innings after allowing seven of the Doubledays' 11 hits in that span.
McDade earned the only hit of the first two frames, until he broke open a two run single in the third with two outs to score Chris Demons and Bartolo Nicolas.
McDade paced Auburn at the plate, with a 3-for-4 night. The only blip on his night was striking out looking in the seventh.
“I was just looking for an offspeed, anything, but it was just a mental lapse on that last one,” McDade said of his near perfect night.
Adam Amar smacked an RBI single to score Nicolas in the fifth to complete a score that seemed much more lopsided than just three runs.
Auburn stranded eight runners, but with the way its defense was playing, it didn't seem to matter.
Jamestown managed just six hits, but its offense seemed to find a wall at every turn.
Doubledays catcher Joel Collins threw out Kevin Mattison at second base in the first after Mattison reached on a leadoff walk.
With two outs and Justin Bass in scoring position in the fifth, McDade made a quick decision from first and threw out Bass at home after Mattison earned an infield single.
In the next four innings, the Doubledays turned two double plays, including one to end the game and give Bobby Bell his seventh save of the season.
With all of the defensive highlights, however, none can compare to the one that came as just the first out in the eighth inning.
Second baseman Carlos Vasquez, who was a late addition to the lineup after a shoulder injury to Jon Del Campo, ran full speed after a routine foul fly ball hit by Bass.
With McDade and Nicolas also chasing the seemingly catchable ball, it was Vasquez who came up with the amazing catch, that ended with him reaching, falling and making the grab head first over the fence along the first base line.
“Pitching and defense wins ballgames and it was all of that tonight,” Holmberg said.
“I made the decision to give (Del Campo) the game off after the lineup had been made. I thought on that catch, that McDade had a better play on it, but it was like reliving DV Plaza all over again.”
Hunter Moody was also a big part of the defensive effort for Auburn.
The Doubledays' newest player threw three strikeouts and allowed one hit in his three innings of work in relief of Perez.
“Hunter has been lights out since he got here,” Holmberg said.
“And as far as Bobby Bell goes, it's been like a horse race. The gates go up, the horses start out, everybody's kind of jockeying for position, they all get a chance to do this and do that and he's kind of broken away from everybody else.”
The Doubledays complete their important two game series with the Jammers at 7 p.m. today.
Notes: Nicolas, Amar and Collins each contributed two hits in the win. ... The shutout win was the fifth of the season for the Doubledays. ... Auburn has now taken three of four against the Jammers this season. ... After today, the Doubledays host just one more game this week, against Batavia on Thursday. ... The Doubledays are now 23-0 this season when they have the lead after eight innings. ... When they get 10 hits or more, they are 16-4 this year.
Doubledays 3
Jammers 0
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