(Coastal Plain League)
Fayetteville SwampDogs pitcher Carter Capps struck out the last five batters of the game, closing the door on a 5-4 win for the Fayetteville SwampDogs on Saturday night at J.P. Riddle Stadium. The game started with a 33 minute delay because of unplayable conditions due to heavy rain that came through Fayetteville earlier in the afternoon. The win moved Fayetteville into first-place all by themselves in the Coastal Plain League South Division for the second half. The matchup between Fayetteville (8-3) and Peninsula (6-6) was the first and only meeting between the two teams during the 2010 summer.
After the SwampDogs staff was able to get the field ready to go, the ‘Dogs jumped out to an early 1-to-nothing lead. Jay Cannon (Brunswick CC), Nick Natoli (Towson) and Corey LeVier (San Diego) started off the home half of the first with consecutive singles before Eric Grabe (Tampa) drove in the game’s first run on a groundout.
Peninsula tied the game at one in the top of the second, but the SwampDogs responded for three runs on two hits in the bottom of the second, highlighted by RBI doubles from Cannon and Christian Cummins (Illinois).
The Pilots would charge back in the third inning off of SwampDogs starter Tyler Niederklein (Nebraska). Following a hit-by-pitch and a walk, Chas Crane (Winthrop) hit his league-leading seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot, to tie the game at 4-4.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Fayetteville was able to break the tie with a bases-loaded Sacrifice Fly from Natoli.
Peninsula made a valiant comeback in the eighth inning, loading the bases with one out on SwampDogs reliever Andy Lowe (Heidelberg). SwampDogs head coach Darrell Handelsman would call to the bullpen, bringing in Capps (Mount Olive) for the second straight night. After getting a two-inning save on Friday night in Morehead City, the 6-5 right-hander from Kinston, N.C. struck out the final two batters in the eighth inning before striking out the side in the ninth to pick up his fourth save of the season.
The Pilots return to action at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton as they welcome Wilson at 7:05. To view all of tonight's statistics, please visit www.coastalplain.com/statistics/2010/fay7-10.htm
