AUBURN - At Falcon Park on Thursday, the Auburn Doubledays played as though they were the team in the hunt for the final New York-Penn League playoff spot instead of the Williamsport Crosscutters.
With a fresh, but familiar face in the lineup, the Doubledays played with new life and with a renewed energy in its exciting 3-1 win to snap a seven-game losing streak.
“Oh, what a relief it is,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “It started with starting pitching, we scored just enough runs, but it was certainly a good win for us.”
Auburn was down early, but Kevin Nolan delivered a groundout sacrifice to score Brad Glenn in the second inning to tie the game. The contest remained knotted 1-1 for the next five innings as both teams turned in spectacular pitching performances. Neither team walked one batter, and Auburn starter Steve Turnbull exceeded expectations, lasting five innings and giving up three of the Crosscutters' six hits.
Williamsport starter Joshua Zeid (6-5) pitched well too, lasting seven innings, striking out six but allowing four of the Doubledays' six hits.
“We saw three pretty good guys in their rotation (in this series),” Holmberg said.
Matt Morgal evened his record at 3-3 in his three innings of relief work, striking out one amidst two hits allowed. Casey Beck earned his ninth save of the season by shutting down Williamsport in the ninth inning, despite the tying run coming to the plate with two outs. Anthony Hewitt, who is second in the league in strikeouts, struck out for the second time to end the game.
The player that leads the league in strikeouts was the hero for the Doubledays as Eric Eiland ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to score Yan Gomes, who hit his own leadoff double.
“It felt good,” Eiland said. “It was just a sitting fastball on a 3-1 count, he threw it right down the plate. It was a big confidence booster, hopefully it carries on after tonight.”
“Eric Eiland got a pretty good base hit,” Holmberg said. “Great timing for somebody that's been struggling.”
Jon Del Campo, who was with the Doubledays last season, returned to the team on Thursday and seemed to provide the spark that was desperately lacking. With Ryan Schimpf as the designated hitter for the evening, Del Campo played second base and batted third in the lineup, and though the statistics weren't glowing, his play was. Offensively, he went 0-for-4, but grounded out for another sacrifice RBI in the eighth the score Chris Hopkins.
“Jonny can be a fun guy to watch play because he can do some funny things out there,” Holmberg said. “He's grown up a lot, he's a high school player that we signed three, four years ago and he made a lot of progress last year but he's had some injuries. But it was nice that the organization could get a player here that could provide a little bit of something - a spark, a hit or an RBI.”
Auburn (23-42) heads to Batavia today before returning home Saturday.
“I thought we played with a little bit more of a step tonight,” Holmberg said. “I had a meeting with the position players, (pitching coach) Vince (Horseman) had a meeting with the pitchers - it's not time to fold up the tent and think about going home. You're only as good as your last at-bat, your last game. Baseball is a game about impressions and it's not about how you started. I can't remember who did what the first week of the season, but I can sure tell you who did what the last two, three days or the week of the season.”
Doubledays 3
Cutters 1
“Oh, what a relief it is,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “It started with starting pitching, we scored just enough runs, but it was certainly a good win for us.”
Auburn was down early, but Kevin Nolan delivered a groundout sacrifice to score Brad Glenn in the second inning to tie the game. The contest remained knotted 1-1 for the next five innings as both teams turned in spectacular pitching performances. Neither team walked one batter, and Auburn starter Steve Turnbull exceeded expectations, lasting five innings and giving up three of the Crosscutters' six hits.
Williamsport starter Joshua Zeid (6-5) pitched well too, lasting seven innings, striking out six but allowing four of the Doubledays' six hits.
“We saw three pretty good guys in their rotation (in this series),” Holmberg said.
Matt Morgal evened his record at 3-3 in his three innings of relief work, striking out one amidst two hits allowed. Casey Beck earned his ninth save of the season by shutting down Williamsport in the ninth inning, despite the tying run coming to the plate with two outs. Anthony Hewitt, who is second in the league in strikeouts, struck out for the second time to end the game.
The player that leads the league in strikeouts was the hero for the Doubledays as Eric Eiland ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to score Yan Gomes, who hit his own leadoff double.
“It felt good,” Eiland said. “It was just a sitting fastball on a 3-1 count, he threw it right down the plate. It was a big confidence booster, hopefully it carries on after tonight.”
“Eric Eiland got a pretty good base hit,” Holmberg said. “Great timing for somebody that's been struggling.”
Jon Del Campo, who was with the Doubledays last season, returned to the team on Thursday and seemed to provide the spark that was desperately lacking. With Ryan Schimpf as the designated hitter for the evening, Del Campo played second base and batted third in the lineup, and though the statistics weren't glowing, his play was. Offensively, he went 0-for-4, but grounded out for another sacrifice RBI in the eighth the score Chris Hopkins.
“Jonny can be a fun guy to watch play because he can do some funny things out there,” Holmberg said. “He's grown up a lot, he's a high school player that we signed three, four years ago and he made a lot of progress last year but he's had some injuries. But it was nice that the organization could get a player here that could provide a little bit of something - a spark, a hit or an RBI.”
Auburn (23-42) heads to Batavia today before returning home Saturday.
“I thought we played with a little bit more of a step tonight,” Holmberg said. “I had a meeting with the position players, (pitching coach) Vince (Horseman) had a meeting with the pitchers - it's not time to fold up the tent and think about going home. You're only as good as your last at-bat, your last game. Baseball is a game about impressions and it's not about how you started. I can't remember who did what the first week of the season, but I can sure tell you who did what the last two, three days or the week of the season.”
Doubledays 3
Cutters 1
Citizen
Hot Jobs
Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.