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Spikes Open The Season With A Loss; Hughes Wins #9, Krol Saves #17

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Hagerstown Suns �13, �West Virginia Power �3 (box)

The Suns bombarded the Power, recording 23 hits in the game, with three Suns’ batters picking up 4 hits each, and two more collecting 3 hits each. �Phillip Irwin was the unfortunate victim of the Suns’ bats, as he suffered the loss. �Irwin surrendered the first 4 Hagerstown runs, on 8 hits and a walk, in 3 innings of work. �Irwin got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 1st with a timely double play, but gave up one run in the 2nd on back-to-back doubles. �It started getting ugly in the 3rd inning, as back-to-back triples, followed by a 2-run homer and another triple added 3 runs in the 3rd inning.

Gabriel Alvarado replaced Irwin to begin the 4th inning. �Alvarado gave up a single, got an out, then gave up an RBI single and a 2-run homer, giving the Suns a 7-0 lead. �After the homer, Alvarado hit the next batter with a pitch and was ejected from the game, along with the batter he hit. �Maurice Bankston took over the mound for the Power, and finished the 4th inning, then pitched 3 scoreless innings. �He retired the side in order in the 5th, and gave up two singles in the 6th. �He also gave up a single in the 7th, but that runner was thrown out trying to steal second base.

The Power finally got onto the scoreboard in the 6th inning. �CF Evan Chambers led off with a walk, and scored on 2B Jarek Cunningham’s double. �Cunningham advanced to third base on a fly out, then scored on RF David Rubinstein’s RBI single to short. �Two doubles, by DH Kyle Morgan and SS Benji Gonzalez gave the Power one more run in the 7th inning. �That was all the scoring the Power could do. �Rubinstein and Morgan each had 2 of the Power’s 6 runs in the game.

Bankston was still on the mound to begin the 8th, and that’s when the ugly started again. �He gave up a double, a single, a double, and a single, driving in 2 runs. �Zach Foster relieved Bankston, but he gave up an RBI single, a walk, and two more singles, adding 3 runs (4 charged to Bankston and one to Foster). �Foster stayed to pitch the 9th, and he gave up another run on two singles and a throwing error.

The Power web site has a feature and “fun facts” on starter Kyle McPherson.

Bradenton Marauders �4, �Jupiter Hammerheads �2 (box)

Noah Krol earned his Florida State League-leading 17th save of the season as the Marauders scored early then hung on for the win.

With two outs in the bottom of the 1st, rehabbing 1B Steve Pearce singled, C Tony Sanchez doubled, and LF�Quincy Latimore brought them both in with his 3-run homer. �That was all the scoring in the game for the next 5 innings. �A few Bradenton batters reached base but didn’t come around to score — SS Greg Picart singled and CF Robbie Grossman walked in the 3rd, Picart singled in the 5th, RF Erik Huber singled in the 7th.

Starter Jeff Locke held the Hammerheads scoreless for 6 innings. �He allowed only 2 hits and struck out 7 batters. �Both hits came to open the top of the 3rd inning, and Locke followed them with three outs to end the innings. �Another batter reached base on him in the 4th on a fielding error by SS Picart, but he was also left on base. �Locke struck out the side in his last inning, the 6th.

Mike Colla relieved Locke to begin the 7th, and he gave up the two Jupiter runs, on a walk, a single, a stolen base and a throwing error by C Sanchez, and an RBI double. �Colla also hit a batter in the 8th, but did not let that runner score.

The Marauders added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th. �Greg Picart led off with a walk and stole second base. �He scored on Steve Pearce’s double into left field.

Noah Krol came on to pitch the 9th, and he retired 3 batters in order, including 2 strikeouts, to earn his 17th save.

Altoona Curve �7, �Richmond Flying Squirrels �2 (box)

A 4-run 8th inning boosted the Curve and insured a win over the Flying Squirrels in Richmond, giving starter Jared Hughes his Eastern League-leading 9th win of the season. �Hughes pitched 7 innings, scattering 6 hits and a walk, while allowing one unearned run. �That run came in the 2nd inning, when the first batter reached on a fielding error by SS Chase d’Arnaud, then two singles brought him around to score. �Hughes struck out the next two batters and got a ground out to end the inning. �Hughes gave up a single and a walk in the 3rd inning, then only two singles over the next 4 innings.

2B Jordy Mercer led the Curve offense with 3 hits and 3 RBI, and CF Alex Presley and RF Miles Durham each had 2 hits. �The Curve had only one hit, a single by Presley, over the first three innings. �They tied the game with a run in the 4th. �Chase d’Arnaud walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by 3B Josh Harrison, and scored on Mercer’s RBI single. �They took the lead in the next inning, on a walk by Presley, a single by Durham, a sacrifice bunt by Jared Hughes, and an RBI single by d’Arnaud.

Two fielding errors contributed to an unearned run for the Curve in the 5th. �1B Matt Hague reached base on the first error, and moved to third base on C Hector Gimenez’s double. �Hague scored on the second error. �The 8th inning brought the Curve 4 runs. �Presley singled, Durham doubled, and LF Anthony Norman singled, scoring Presley, all before an out was recorded. �Pinch hitter Shelby Ford singled, plating Durham, and Mercer singled, bringing in both Norman and Ford.

Mike Dubee relieved Jared Hughes for the 8th inning, and he gave up a double but kept the Squirrels from scoring. �Jimmy Barthmaier gave up a run in the 9th, on a double and a single, for the Squirrels’ final run.

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