Catfish hold on 4-3 to win their 38th of the season
JACKSON, TN (Aug 1) – The Cape Catfish have three games left after last nights win on the road over the Rockabillys 4-3. The team won their 38th game vs 17 losses and will enjoy a much needed day off today before they play at O’Fallon Thursday, Alton Friday and then back home Saturday for their regular season finale’.
The Rockabillys took the lead early off Catfish starter Caden Bogenpohl (MO State). After getting the first two batters quickly, Bogenpohl walked the next two and then gave up an rbi single to Jake McCuthcheon making it 1-0 Billys. Starting pitcher Juwan Fitch stymied the Fish the first time through the lineup but in the 5th the Catfish broke through.
Brody Chrisman (Purdue) singled to lead off the 5th and advanced to second on a balk. Lane Crowden (University of Southern Indiana) walked. Catcher Tucker Stockman advanced the runners when he hit into a fielders choice. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch making it 1-1 and then Kevin McCarthy (University of Tennessee Southern) singled in Crowden for 2-1 Catfish lead.
The Catfish tacked one on in the 6th when Crowden hit a sac fly to score Justin Carinci (Eastern Kentucky) who walked, making the score 3-1 Catfish. Meanwhile, Curry Sutherland (MO State), who had relieved Bogenpohl after three innings was carving up the Rockabillys. Sutherland threw up zeros until the 8th when an error on a ground ball to short took it’s toll. Sutherland came out with one out and two on in the 8th and handed the ball to Ray Ochoa (Cumberland College).
Ochoa struck out the first batter he faced, Brett Blankenship, and it looked like he’d get out of the inning. But Jake McCutchen had different plans as he doubled into the right field gap scoring two runs and making it a 4-3 game. With the tying run at second Ochoa struck the next batter out and then set the Rockabillys down in order in the 9th to secure his first save of the season to go along with his four wins while lowering his era to 1.86.
Curry Sutherland, appearing in his 16th game, evened his record at 2-2. The freshman to be at Missouri State has been a huge cog in the wheel for the Catfish this summer. “Curry is a two-way guy that I didn’t know much about,” said Catfish skipper Scott Little. “He has been huge for us on the mound, throwing maybe his best outing of the summer. If it wasn’t for an error to start the 8th, I think he’d have finished it!”
With the win the Catfish move to 38-17 for the season, 2nd in the Prospect League, 1/2 game behind Chillicothe who was idle. The loss dropped the Rockabillys to 15-37 in their inaugural season. The Catfish will be back in action at O’Fallon Thursday at 6:35pm. Catch all the action on PLTV.
GAME NOTES: Playoffs start Sunday as the Catfish host the Thrillville Thrillbillies at 6:35pm. Gates open at 5:00pm. Fans are strongly encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time to avoid line at the gate.