Game 79:  Lincoln Saltdogs @ St. Joe Blacksnakes

Phil Welch Stadium

Friday, August 10, 2007

Lincoln (49-30)                     000 010 010            2 –   9 – 1 /  6 LOB

@ St. Joe (30-52)                  400 000 103            8 – 12 – 2 /  9 LOB

WP—James Beever (1-0)

LP—Josh Kauten (7-4)

SV—None

HR:  None

Attd:  599

HEAT AND SNAKES BRING DOWN SALTDOGS

                From the time the Saltdogs left town for St. Joe through the final out of their 8-2 loss to the Blacksnakes, there wasn’t much that went right for Lincoln on Friday. 

                Soaring temperatures and high humidity made for uncomfortable day weatherwise, which was compounded by a two-hour non-air conditioned bus ride to Missouri .  Add to that the fact that field preparations forced batting practice to be scrapped and you’ve got the makings for a disjointed day at the ballpark and that’s exactly the way the Dogs played.

                St. Joe scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed.  The key play in the opening frame when the Snakes had runners at the corners with one out.  Dustin Yount hit a ball back to Lincoln pitcher Josh Kauten, who threw to second in an effort to start a double play.  However, his throw to Tony Garcia was in line with the setting sun and his throw went into centerfield allowing the first of the four runs to score.

                Lincoln ’s only offensive threat came in the top of the eighth.  With one out and a run in to make it 5-2, the Saltdogs had Seth Pietsch at second with Tony Garcia at the plate.  With Pietsch attempting to steal third, Garcia lined out to the third baseman Carter McQuigg, who tagged out Pietsch for an inning-ending double play.  St. Joe went on to score three times in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin.  The winning pitcher was former Saltdog reliever James Beever, who, after spending the majority of the season as the Snakes’ backup catcher, was making his first start of the season on the mound.

                The Saltdogs and Blacksnakes meet again in the second of their three-game series on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

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