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Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Drop Rain-Shortened Game, 2-0

June 25, 2007 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Winston-Salem, NC - For the first time on the 2007 campaign's second half, the Wilmington Blue Rocks came up short, collecting just two hits in a 2-0 rain-shortened loss against the Winston-Salem Warthogs at Ernie Shore Field on Monday night. The teams played a full five innings before rain promoted a delay of one hour and 10 minutes, after which the game was called complete due to poor playing conditions. Wilmington's sixth shutout loss of the season evened the three-game series at one apiece.

Each of the Warthogs' scores came off the bat of All-Star first baseman Micah Schnurstein against starter Jason Godin (0-3). In the first inning, Schnurstein connected on a one-out RBI single with a first-pitch swing that went between Mario Lisson and his third base bag fair, scoring Robbie Hudson from second base for a 1-0 deficit.

Wilmington's greatest offensive threat against Brian Omogrosso (4-2) came in the fifth inning. Making his first start since his high school days, Omogrosso had faced just one over the minimum entering the fifth, allowing an infield single to Wilver Perez in the second. The fifth started with another Perez hit, a line-drive double to the left-center gap. After a pair of groundouts, Perez stood at third base when Brett Bigler drew a four-pitch walk to put runners at the corners. But Chris McConnell bounced into a force out at second base to end the threat.

Schnurstein was at it again in the bottom half of the frame, stroking a two-out solo homer to left-center, against first-pitch swinging. The long ball marked his league-leading 17th of the season for the 2-0 score that would go final.

After the fifth wrapped up, lightning hit the skies and radar showed a massive system coming directly at the ballpark. The umpires ordered everyone to stay off the field as the tarp was put out, and the rains came shortly thereafter.

Godin posted his second straight solid start, allowing just two runs on seven hits over five innings, but suffered the loss. He walked one and struck out four. Omogrosso went a career-high five shutout frames, allowing just two hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The series between the Blue Rocks and Warthogs concludes on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. Wilmington right-hander Blake Johnson (4-6, 4.43) will face southpaw Clayton Richard (5-4, 3.61).

GAME NOTES: Jason Godin has hit a batter or issued a wild pitch in each of his five outings as a Blue Rock. He plunked the Warthogs' Daron Roberts with two outs in the fourth inning on Monday night.

Granted it was a rain-shortened affair, but at one hour and 15 minutes of actual game time, Monday's loss was the quickest game for Wilmington this season.

After Sunday's rare win, Wilmington reverted to form by dropping a game at Ernie Shore Field where they have gone just 2-7 this season. If the Blue Rocks fail to win Tuesday's contest, 2007 will be their worst performance in Winston-Salem ever. The Rocks won just three times at Ernie Shore Field in 1995, 96, 99 and 2005, but played just nine times in Winston-Salem in 1995 and 1999.

Five of Wilmington's six shutout losses have come against teams from the talent-laden Southern Division. Coincidentally, the Rocks' most recent blanking prior to Monday night was also suffered in Winston-Salem against the Warthogs, a 3-0 setback on June 9.

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Carolina League Stories from June 25, 2007


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