Catfish Rally for Win
Cape Girardeau, June 3 – The Cape Catfish home opener Friday night began with presentation of the Prospect League’s 2021 championship trophy and ended with late inning heroics as the Catfish scored four runs in the eighth inning defeating the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 8-6.
The win brought Cape’s record to 1-2 while Springfield fell to 1-2. Catfish reliever Austin Brock, who pitched the eighth inning, got the win while Noah Burkey recorded the save, striking out two Horseshoes and inducing a fly ball in the top of the ninth.
Springfield led most of the game, scoring single runs in the first and third innings, two in the fifth, and single tallies in the seventh and eighth frames. Meanwhile, Cape plated two in the third and single runs in the fourth and seventh innings before plating four in the eighth. Horseshoe reliever Lucas Otto took the loss.
The big blow came off the bat of Catfish second baseman J.D. Ortiz who drove in three runs in the eighth inning on a bases-loaded double to center field. Ortiz was on base five times with three hits and two walks and a total of five RBI.
“J.D. not only hit the ball well tonight, he’s sent the ball (deep) the last couple of nights,” said Catfish head coach Stephen Larkin, referring to the home runs Ortiz hit in each of Cape’s first two games.
The Catfish finished with eight hits and two errors leaving seven runners on base while the Horseshoes also had eight hits with no errors, leaving eight on base.
Cape is back in action Saturday night at Capaha Field against the O’Fallon Hoots. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.