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CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (July 10) – The Cape Catfish earned their third shutout of the season Monday night, outscoring the O’Fallon Hoots 7-0 in front of nearly 700 fans at Capaha Field.

The shutout was the third of the summer for the Catfish and it was the second time they’ve blanked O’Fallon. Their first shutout against the Hoots was a 14-0 game June 5, also at Capaha Field. The Fish also shutout the Thrillville Thrillbillies 10-0 on June 20.

Monday night’s win boosted Cape’s overall record to 26-9, 4-3 in the second half of the Prospect League season. The loss dropped the Hoots to 16-17 overall and 1-5 in the second half.

The Catfish scored twice in the first Monday night on a two-out triple by Jackson’s Lane Crowden, a 6’6″ junior at the University of Southern Indiana who started at shortstop for the Fish. His triple was off the wall in dead center field and drove home second baseman Kevin McCarthy (Tennessee Southern) and left fielder Brody Chrisman (Purdue), both of whom had singled before Crowden came to the plate. It was Crowden’s third triple of the season.

Jorge Romero from Los Angeles Pierce College came into Monday night’s game with a 2-1 record and an earned run average of 2.65. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced, but in the 4th inning he gave up a one-out single to left by Hoots third baseman Jack Meyer and walked the next batter, right fielder Nick Harms, to put runners on first and second. Hoots designated hitter Chase Beattie popped out to Fish first baseman Landon Godsey (Belmont) and the next batter, catcher John Stallcup, hit a soft gounder to Quinton Borders (Crowder College) at third who stepped on third base to end the Hoots scoring threat.

The Catfish added three more runs in the bottom of the 4th on a two-out, two-RBI double by Borders followed by an infield single by Catfish center fielder Chris Hall (Lincoln Memorial University) who advanced to second on a throwing error at first that allowed Borders to score.

All five Catfish runs to that point were charged to Hoots starter Barrett Lohman who left the game after going four innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs while striking out four and walking two.

Lohman was replaced in the 5th inning by Noah Arras from Maryville University who gave up a single to Godsey, the first batter he faced. After Arras walked two more batters to load the bases, Catfish catcher Tucker Stockman blasted a single off the wall in center field that scored Godsey. One or two more runners might have scored on Stockman’s hit, but it wasn’t clear at first that Hoots center fielder Braedon Stoakes didn’t catch the ball.

Romero left the game after 6 innings, allowing three O’Fallon hits, all singles, while striking out five and walking just one Hoot. His replacement, Curry Sutherland from Missouri State, retired the first two Hoots he faced in the 7th before allowing back-to-back singles to O’Fallon’s first and second basemen, Michael Long and Tucker Platt, respectively. They were stranded, though, when Sutherland struck out Hoots left fielder Drew Mize to end the inning.

Cape picked up an insurance run in the 8th when Hall reached on a fielder’s choice, stole his 27th base of the season, then scored when Godsey grounded to Hoots shortstop Tyson Ludwig whose throw to first was wild and went out of play. Hall’s run, his 44th of the season to lead the league, made the score 7-0 which was the final.

Romero earned the win, improving his record to 3-1. The losing pitcher was Lohman whose record is now 2-1.

The line score for both teams: Catfish – 7 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors. Hoots – 0 runs, 6 hits, 2 errors.

The Catfish travel to Springfield, Illinois, to take on the Lucky Horseshoes Tuesday before returning to Capaha Field Wednesday to take on REX Baseball from Terre Haute, Indiana. Game time Wednesday is 6:35 p.m. Tickets for that game, and all Catfish home games, can be purchased online through the Catfish website, www.capecatfish.com.