| Weekly Review July 23rd |
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| Wednesday, 23 July 2008 08:46 |
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Let's take a look back at the Sharks positive week. Also check out the updates from the CPL All-Star Game.
Weekly Review July 23rd
Wilmington 5 The Sharks got on the board early but could not carry the offense into the later innings at the Swamp. In the second inning back to back singles by Kolby Epley and Ryan Graepel got things rolling. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position for Daniel Parker who drove Epley home with a sac fly. With two down Matt Kirchner singled and Bobby Leeper tripled to put the Sharks up 3-0 early. Matt Freeman started for the Sharks going seven and two thirds innings giving up three runs on six hits. He would give a run back in the bottom of the second. A lead-off double came home to score on a grounder to put Fayetteville on the board. After that Freeman would hold the Swampdogs in check without a hit until the sixth. A run would come home in the sixth and then in the eighth off Freeman to pull the game close. The Sharks led it 4-3 headed to the bottom of the ninth as Tyler White took the hill. With two down and the bases loaded a three one pitch sailed high and the tying run came home. Then, during the very next at bat, the runner from third broke on the pitch and stole home to win the ballgame 5-4.
The Swampdogs struck first for one run off Gaines in the top of the fourth. Gaines would settle in after that allowing just one more hit, a solo home run, through nine. Gaines finished his complete game masterpiece allowing just two runs on four hits, striking out seven. The Sharks would answer that fourth inning Fayetteville run with one of thier own. A hit batsman and single put the first two runners on. With one down and the runners now at second and third Neal Pritchard grounded a ball through the legs of the third baseman, an error that brought Hunter Owen home to score the tying run. In the fifth inning it would be Owen again in the middle of the scoring. After Mike Alvarez walked with one down, Owen sent a no doubt home run over the left field wall to put the Sharks up 3-1. After the Fayetteville solo home run the score stood 3-2 until the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Graepel singled to lead off the inning. After a walk and hit batsman the bases were loaded for Kolby Epley whose fly ball to left put the Sharks up 4-2. Leaving nothing to chance the Sharks plated another insurance run in the bottom of the 8th. John Nester led off the frame with a double. Still at second with two down Graepel rolled a single up the middle and Nester slid home just ahead of the tag to put the Sharks up 5-2 headed to the ninth.
Wilmington 3
Ryan Vander Tuig breezed through eight innings allowing just three hits while shutting out the Penninsula Pilots 3-0 at the Tank Friday night. Still leading 2-0 in the sixth Bobby Leeper lashed a double down the right field line to lead off the frame. After a single by Mike Alvarez moved him to third, Leeper came home on a Hunter ground ball. With a little help from Chris Powell in the ninth, Vander Tuig would make the lead stand up. The six foot six right hander struck out just two but didn't issue a single walk to speed his way through eight and move his record to 3-1. Powell came in to close things out in the ninth getting a double play ball to end the game.
Sending eight to the plate in the first and ten in the fourth, the Sharks jumped out to an early lead and held on to beat the Redwolves 10-8 in Florence Saturday night. The Sharks started the ball game swinging picking up four runs in the first. With two down Mike Alvarez got it all started with a single up the middle. Two walks loaded the bases for Kolby Epley who drove two home with a single. The very next batter, Neal Pritchard followed suit and lined a single to center to bring two more home. Starter Mike Rudman would give two back in the bottom of the first but after one the Sharks had a 4-2 lead. Still leading by two the Sharks would load the bases with nobody out in the top of the fourth before Matt Kirchner was hit by the pitch to drive in one. Bobby Leeper smashed what turned out to be just an RBI single off the right center field wall to drive in another and chase starter LA Owens from the game. An error on a Ryan Graepel grounder would plate two more. The fifth run of the frame, ninth on the night would come home on a wild pitch. The Sharks held a 9-2 lead after four. In the sixth Graepel would add on another run, blasting his first home run of the season over the left field wall. Rudman would leave after five innings giving up four runs on six hits striking out six. It took five Sharks relievers to finally close the door on the Redwolves, with Chirs Powell finally coming in to get the last two outs. After more than three and half hours the Sharks early offense would prove enough to pick up the win. All-Star Game All Star starters Mike Alvarez and Bobby Leeper as well as reserves Kolby Epley and Bryant Gaines all saw action in the rain shortened all star game Tuesday night. The National team ended up taking the victory 5-3 in seven full innings in Asheboro. Clouds hovered over McCrary Park all day long Tuesday but the game got off to a fast, and dry, start. In the top of the first a solo home run off the bat of Edenton's Brett Nommensen(Eastern Illinois) put the Leeper's National team on top one nothing. A long ball, this time a three run shot, off the bat of Asheboro Copperhead Daniel Wagner(Hersey) put the American team on top. Gaines, Epley and Alvarez all were members of the American club, coached in part by the Sharks Daniel Hersey. The National team would come storming back in the fourth inning with four runs to take a 5-3 lead. Leeper picked up a clutch one out single, bounding a grounder right over the head of fellow Shark Alvarez, to drive in what turned out to be the winning two runs. Alvarez would get his own defensive revenge on his Shark teammate that same inning. With Leeper on third and two down, another runner broke from first. The American catcher threw down to second where Alvarez was covering. Leeper broke from third on the throw, but Alvarez made the catch and snapped a throw to the plate to cut down Leeper and end the inning. After a rain delay in the top of the fifth, the Sharks two All Star starters would leave the game, but the fun was just beginning for the other Wilmington stars. Both Epley and Gaines came out to start the sixth inning. With his hometown catcher Epley behind the plate, Gaines came out throwing heat. The first two National batters went down swinging against the Sharks starter. After an error on an excuse me swing grounder to short, Gaines came right back to get a fly ball to center for a hitless inning of work.
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