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 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Hoppers Manufacture 4-2 Win Over Kannapolis

June 10, 2007 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


GREENSBORO, N.C. - One day after using a bludgeon, the Greensboro Grasshoppers went into the manufacturing business.

The Hoppers beat Kannapolis 4-2 Sunday at First Horizon Park before a crowd of 6,035. It was their Hoppers' third straight win, improving their record to 34-29. They're now 6-2 against the Intimidators.

The win came on the heels of an 18-6 thrashing of Kannapolis Saturday. This game was won in a decidedly different fashion.

"Usually when you score a lot of runs, the next day you're flat," said Hopper manager Edwin Rodriguez. "We knew we had to manufacture some runs. So we decided early to move the runner over, hit and run, things like that."

The Hoppers set the tone early. John Raynor doubled to lead off the bottom of the first, stole third and came home when the throw by catcher Reymundo Tavares went into left field.

After the Intimidators tied it on an RBI single by Lee Cruz in the fourth, the Hoppers answered in the bottom of the inning. Jake Blackwood's single and Logan Morrison's double put runners on second and third. Adam Howard, who had three home runs Saturday, collected an RBI with a sacrifice fly. Spike McDougall's double scored Morrison to make it 3-1.

Rodriguez took another chance in the seventh. After Chris Hatcher singled and stole second, Raynor's ground ball was booted by shortstop Scotty Madsen. Rodriguez waved Hatcher in and there was a collision at home plate. Hatcher jarred the ball loose from Tavares and was safe for a 4-1 lead.

It added up to the seventh win of the season for Graham Taylor. The left-hander didn't have his sharpest outing, but battled through six innings and held the Intimidators to one run.

"He still went out and pitched," Rodriguez said. "We were looking to see how he would do in a game like that. It was a great performance."

Chris Leroux, Rodolfo Encarnacion and Jay Buente finished, with Buente picking up his first save.

The Hoppers backed their pitchers with some excellent fielding. Shortstop Justin Webb made a nice stop and throw in the second inning, and in the sixth he stayed in front of a high hop that went off his chest, made a barehand pickup and threw out Anderson Gomes.

Third baseman Blackwood made three fine plays. In the second inning, he made a diving stop to his right, got up and fired a high throw to first that Logan Morrison snagged and tagged out Cruz. In the fifth, Blackwood made a nice backhand stop and throw to get John Shelby. And in the ninth, with Tavares bunting for a base hit, he came in for a barehanded picked up and throw that got the runner for the first out.

"I was playing toward the line to prevent a double," Blackwood said. "When I saw him square around, I sprinted in and knew I had to barehand it.

"On that dive, there's no time to do anything but lay out if you have to. Sometimes the ball goes in the glove and sometimes it doesn't. Logan made a great play on a tough throw."

The Hoppers open a three-game series against the Lexington Legends Monday at 7 p.m. at First Horizon.


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