Two Complete-Game Shutouts Friday

There were two complete-game shutouts in the minors on Friday. In Charleston, SC, Columbus Catfish (Dodgers) pitcher James McDonald went 9 innings in shutting down the Charleston Riverdogs (Yankees), 2-0.

McDonald, who came into the evening with a 0-3 record and a 4.85 ERA in six previous appearances against the RiverDogs, was masterful at times. The Long Beach, CA native set the RiverDogs down in order six times and worked around leadoff hits in the other three innings. On the way to earning his second complete game victory in less than two weeks, the right hander allowed just three Charleston hits while walking two and recording 10 strikeouts.

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The Catfish and Riverdogs play in the South Atlantic League (Class A).

In the independent Can-Am League, Brad Guy of the Brockton Rox pitched the first game of a doubleheader to get a complete game shutout of the New Jersey Jackals.

Guy was magnificent in the early game, stranding the bases full in the first inning, and proceeding to retire 19 consecutive batters in the third Rox complete-game shutout of the season. The Rox scored four runs in the third inning on an RBI single by 1B Francisco Lebron and a three-run HR off the bat of C Jason Radwan. 3B Jeff LaRue added an RBI double in the fifth inning, his second two-bagger of the night.

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Under minor league rules, doubleheader games are 7 innings.

Whitecaps Win In 14

It took 14 innings, but the Western Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) won a 1-0 14-inning marathon against the Dayton Dragons (Reds).

Justin Justice led off the top of the 14th with a triple. Pedro Cotto drove in Justice with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Five Whitecaps pitchers combined for the shutout, which trimmed West Michigan’s Midwest League-lead team ERA back to an even 3.00.

Scheduled starter Luke French was a late scratch due to a flu-like illness that has affected most of the team.

Josh Kauten made the spot start and threw five scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. In fact, Kauten retired the last 14 batters that he faced.

Paul Hammond and Ricky Steik each chipped in three innings on the mound for the Whitecaps. Jose Fragoso pitched the 12th and Matt Rusch (9-3) threw the 13th and 14th to earn his ninth win in relief.

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Western Michigan and Dayton play in the Midwest League (Class A).

Quakes Score 21

Each team hit 3 home runs, but Rancho Cucamonga scored 21 runs as they as the Quakes (Angels) beat the Lancaster JetHawks (Diamondbacks) 21-8.

Ben Johnson and LeBlanc led off the sixth with singles, and after moving into scoring position on a wild pitch both came home on Ryan Leahy’s two-run double. Michael Collins followed with a ground ball that shortstop Derek Bruce whiffed on, allowing Leahy to score and putting the Quakes up 9-6. Leahy delivered another big blow in the seventh, driving a three-run double to the wall in left before scoring on Collins’s RBI single as Rancho Cucamonga took a 13-6 lead. The fun continued in the eighth as the Quakes tacked on six more runs while sending a dozen men to the plate. Baltazar Lopez and Freddy Sandoval led off with doubles to make it 14-6, Johnson added a sacrifice fly to make it 15-6, and after backup catcher Richard Mercado had entered to pitch Collins sent a three-run double into the right field corner for an 18-6 advantage before Reilly lined an RBI single to right.

Johnson got the Quakes to the 20-run mark in the top of the ninth with a solo homer to right off Bruce (yes, the shortstop), and LeBlanc followed with a single. Leahy walked with one out to move LeBlanc to second, and Collins then hit a roller that snuck into right field. Quakes manager Bobby Mitchell gave LeBlanc the stop sign at third but LeBlanc ran right through it and scored easily to rewrite the record book. The previous record of 20 runs was set August 10, 1997 at Visalia.

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The Quakes and the JetHawks play in the California League (Class A Advanced).

Southwest Michigan's Wade Davis tosses no-hiter, loses game

A Southwest Michigan fan
experiences one of those
nights. (Battle Creek Enquirer)

In the day of their first ever home game, the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays were snowed out. On the day of their last ever home game, they lost a no-hitter.

5,348 fans, four times their season average of 1,327, watched a doubleheader that closed out the Southwest Michigan's existence. Next season, the team moves to Midland, MI, and become the Great Lakes Loons.

Thursday night, game one of the doubleheader, saw the Devil Rays lose a heartbreaker.

In Game 1, Davis threw the franchise's fifth no-hitter, and second of the season, but Beloit (37-29) scored an unearned run in the fourth inning and it was enough to defeat Southwest Michigan's anemic offense. Oddly, Yancarlos Ortiz, who scored the game's only run, reached base on a Davis fielding error.

Davis (7-12) said the only other no-hitter he threw came when he was "like 10 or 11."

"I didn't have command of all my pitches but they made some good plays behind me," said the 20-year-old Davis.

Davis' seven-inning whitewashing is the third-ever losing no-hitter in Midwest League history and the first since 1972.

The 6-foot-5 Davis, ranked as Tampa Bay's sixth-best prospect, threw 93 pitches—60 of them strikes.

"In the fourth inning I told (hitting coach) Brady (Williams) it would be appropriate to throw a no-hitter and lose," Lichtenstein said.

"It's unfortunate. Wade's been special all year."

In the seventh inning of Game 1, Rays catcher Christian Lopez reached third base with no outs on a three-base error on Beloit pitcher Adam Hawes. But, in a summary of the Rays' season, Lopez was left at third because nobody got the ball out of the infield.

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Game two saw Southwest Michigan beat the Beloit Snappers (Twins) 5-2. The teams play in the Midwest League (Class A).

Little League World Champs To Be Honored By Hometown Team

From the Columbus Catfish:

The Columbus Catfish will celebrate the accomplishments of the 2006 World Champion Columbus Northern Little League team during the Catfish home finale against the Rome Braves Thursday at 7:00pm at Golden Park. As a salute to Columbus, Georgia little leaguers, the Catfish will host Little League Appreciation Night. All area little leaguers who suit up in uniform will get a free general admission ticket.

The Catfish will also be joined by Children’s Miracle Network at The Medical Center. Families of CMN and their sponsors should contact CMN for tickets. Columbus Regional Hospital employees get a $3 general admission ticket when showing their ID badge at the ticket window. During the game members of Phi Mu will be on hand to raise funds for CMN.

Monday afternoon three Catfish players visited Columbus Regional Hospital. Pitchers Joe Jones, Dave Preziosi and Jordan Pratt toured the high-risk nursery and the children’s ward. Their afternoon activities ranged from chatting about baseball to playing with dolls, all to the delight of CMN youngsters.

The game against Rome wraps up the 2006 Catfish home schedule. Then Columbus goes on the road for one last four-game series against the Charleston RiverDogs. For tickets or more information call (706) 571-8866 or visit www.ColumbusCatfish.com.

Columbus and Rome actually play two games today. Because of last night's rainout, the teams square off at 5:00 PM in the first of two 7-inning games.

Former Minor Leaguer Killed In Louisville Plane Crash

photo: CBS

Former minor league player Jon Hooker and his new bride were among the 49 people killed Sunday morning in the crash of Comair Flight 5191 in Louisville.

Hooker had married Scarlett Parsley the night before, and were heading to Atlanta for a honeymoon flight to California.

Hooker played college ball at the University of Kentucky and signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent in 2001. His professional playing career involved being a part of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 2003 Northern League champions. He also played with the RedHawks in 2004, before being traded to the Joliet Jackhammers, where he finished 2004 and spent part of 2005.

More coverage: Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks