Catfish outlast Mother Nature and a 90 minute rain delay and roll the Rockabillies 10-3.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (July 29) – For a while it looked like Mother Nature would be the only winner Saturday night. Storms blew through Capaha park around 6:00pm and tore up tents and dropped a bunch of rain. These are Catfish and they like water. After a 90 minute delay, the game between the Rockabillies and Catfish had begun.
On the mound for the Fish was Noah Gadberry (MAC) who was appearing in his 16th game (tied for team high) and his 5th start was coming off some impressive five and six inning starts putting up zeros. His streak continued. Gadberry went six strong innings allowing one run on two hits, two walks and six strikeouts to get his 4th win of the season. He also lowered his era to 2.93 which is 3rd best among starters and his 40 innings pitched it tops on the team.
“When I was red shirted in the spring at Delta State, I lost some confidence just because I hadn’t really pitched competitively in over a year,” said Gadberry. “I had a couple rough outings butI just started trusting my stuff and it’s been really good the last few starts.”
Indeed it has. The offense out up runs early which also helps a starting pitcher relax a little. Clarke (Belmont University) scored on a balk and the red hot lane Crowden singled in another run, his 37th of the season to make it 2-0. In the 3rd and 4th the catfish would tack on a run each inning. Carinci (Eastern Kentucky) hit a sac fly to score Hall. Crowden came home on a balk to make it 4-0 Catfish.
Cal Kilgore (Arkansas) and Carinci both singled in the 5th. Brody Chrisman (Purdue) stepped to the plate and doubled down the left field line to make it 6-0 as he picked up his 39th and 40th rbi of the summer. Chrisman has been gone since last Sunday as he had to go back home to Zionsville, IN and attend to some personal and school related issues. The Catfish were happy to have his energy back in the dugout and on the field.
With a 6-1 lead heading into the 7th, Little called on another Notre Dame alumni, Cam Dohogne (Columbia College). It had been over a week since Dohogne had seen the mound. He set the Rockabillies down in order in the 7th but gave up a couple runs in the 8th when he walked the leadoff batter and gave up a single and both came around to score.
The catfish tacked on three more in the 7th and one more in the 8th. Another local player from Benton, MO came in and shut the Rockabillies down in the 9th. “It felt good to get back out there and contribute said,” former Kelly standout Bryce Morgan. Two Notre Dame and one Kelly alum covered this one for the Catfish and allowed some guys the night off after using four arms last night.
The win took the Catfish to 35-17 on the season and 13-11 for the second half with six games left, only two at home. The Rockabillies fall to 4-18 for the second half, worst record in the PL.
GAME NOTES: Tomorrow’s game is a big one in a couple ways. First, there is only two home games remaining this season. Tomorrow is also Cap America’s Cap Giveaway…..1st 300 fans receive an awesome throwback Catfish hat from Cap America and First State Community Bank.