Fayetteville Takes Slugfest

FAYETTEVILLE – The Fayetteville SwampDogs scored early, scored often, and pitched just well enough to win a 10-7 slugfest at JP Riddle Stadium Tuesday night.

In a game that featured 31 hits, the Blowfish were again hurt by mistakes and a powerful Fayetteville offense looking to break out of a slump.

The Swampdogs clobbered 18 hits, including four doubles, to avenge a 12-0 shutout in Columbia last week.  The Blowfish had 13 hits and got the leadoff runners aboard in seven innings, but were hurt by a pickoff, a caught stealing, two lineout double plays, and a runner caught trying to stretch a base hit.

Swampdog reliever Nate Kerkoff (Nebraska, 1-0) got the win despite surrendering three runs on two hits and three walks in 0.2 innings.  Jake Zokan (Charleston, 1-2) was roughed up by the SwampDogs offense for his second loss. The left-hander allowed seven runs on 11 hits with a walk and no strikeouts in three innings of work.  Matt Millroy (Illinois) calmed things down after the sixth, facing the minimum in 3.2 innings to record his second save.

Fayetteville starter Ryan Prickett (Ft. Scott CC) lasted only 4.2 innings before his night was done. Prickett allowed four runs (three earned) off 10 hits, but did not pitch the minimum five innings to be eligible for the win.

                Fayetteville struck early in the first inning. A Chris Wychock (Towson) double scored Corey LeVier (Cypress) and Eric Grabe (Tampa) to put the SwampDogs up 2-0.

However, it took one at-bat in the following inning for the Blowfish to respond. David Greene (Citadel) turned on a Prickett pitch and drove his first home run of the season over the left field wall to close the gap 2-1.

But Fayetteville had its own answer in the bottom of the second. Nick Natoli (Towson) singled to lead off the frame and moved to second on a Christian Cummins (Illinois) sacrifice bunt. Nathaniel Lami (South Alabama) followed with a base hit to bring Cummins around to score. Jake Carlson (Dartmouth) followed with a line drive to right, but Columbia outfielder Branfy Arias (Tusculum) was able to gun down Lami at home for the second out. Jay Cannon (Brunswick CC) moved Carlson to third with another single, and Cannon scored on a wild pitch by Zokan to give the SwampDogs a 4-1 edge.

Columbia manufactured another run in the third. Nick Orvin (Citadel) reached on a fielding error by shortstop Nick Natoli. Orvin then stole second and moved to third on a groundout by Chase Vergason (Florida Atlantic).  After an Arias walk, Branfy kept the attention of Prickett at first, allowing Orvin to sneak home and make the score 4-2.            

The SwampDogs got three more across in the bottom of the inning. Wychock hit his second double with one out, and later scored on an RBI single by Natoli. After a Cummins single moved Natoli over to second, Lami walked to load the bases with two outs. Carlson then smashed a double off the warning track in left center to score Natoli and Cummins to put Fayetteville ahead 7-2.

The Blowfish weren’t going quietly, however.  Dadynoel Lorenzo (Shorter) singled to start off the fifth and Orvin doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. Back-to-back groundouts by Vergason and Arias closed the scoring margin to 7-4.

But Fayetteville chalked up another three runs in the bottom of the frame. Cummins doubled with one out, then scored on Lami’s RBI single.  After a Carlson single put runners on the corners, a Cannon groundout brought Lami around. Grabe then drove home Carlson to put the Swampdogs up 10-4.

But Columbia had another rally planned for the sixth. After Fayetteville reliever Nate Kerkoff (Nebraska) walked Nick Abrahamson (Virginia Commonwealth) and Max McEleney (San Diego), Lorenzo followed with a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out. An Orvin double drove home two more for the Blowfish and a Vergason sac fly plated Lorenzo to cut into the SwampDogs’ lead, 10-7.

NOTES: The difference in the game was likely hits with runners in scoring position. Of Columbia’s 13 hits, only two came in RISP situations. By comparison, Fayetteville had 10… SwampDogs manager Darrell Handelsman now has 499 summer league wins in his career... Fayetteville extended its lead on the season series to 3-1…The Blowfish return home on Wednesday night to take on the Wilmington Sharks. It will be Wet Wednesday. All 12-oz beers and sodas will be only $1.