BlueClaws’ first homestand has ups and downs
Team hits the road for
eight-game road trip
following Sunday’s win

PHOTOS BY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Above, Lakewood’s Michael Bourn beats the tag of Hickory’s Javier Guzman during the BlueClaws’ home loss on Friday night at FirstEnergy Park. At left, second baseman Tim Moss fires the ball to first for an out after fielding the grounder with his bare hand.

The Lakewood BlueClaws return to FirstEnergy Park resulted in a 3-3 homestand, but ended on a high note with a solid 6-1 win on Sunday over the Hickory Crawdads.

Lakewood’s bats finally showed some signs of life in key spots on Sunday, as the BlueClaws managed to come up with some clutch hits with runners in scoring positions, something they struggled with earlier in the week.

While Erick Arteaga baffled Crawdad hitters through six scoreless innings of work, the BlueClaws got consecutive two-out singles in the fifth from Michael Bourn and Andy Jarvis to jump out to a 4-1 lead. That was all the support the Lakewood staff would need, as the BlueClaws evened their record at 5-5 on the young season.

The year’s first homestand started on Wednesday, after consecutive rain-outs on Monday and Tuesday forced a double-header with the Charleston Alley Cats.

On Wednesday, Marc Tugwell’s three-run home run capped a five-run, fourth inning rally that lifted the BlueClaws to a 6-2 win over Charleston (W.Va.) in the second game of the doubleheader at FirstEnergy Park. The Alley Cats blanked Lakewood 7-0 in the opener behind the combined two-hit pitching of Danny Core and Mark Sopko.

Javon Moran led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to become Lakewood’s first base runner in the second game. Michael Bourn followed with a slicing double to center field that sent Moran to third before center fielder David Smith’s errant throw to the infield got away from third baseman Eric Arnold and allowed Moran to score the BlueClaws first run of the day. Bourn would move to third on a ground out and score on a double by Jake Blalock to make it 2-0. Bryan Hansen followed with a walk before Tugwell’s opposite field blast to right field pushed the home sides’ lead to 5-0. It was the BlueClaws first home run of the season, leaving Augusta as the last team in the league to slug a long ball.

Matt Sweeney was throwing no-hit, shutout baseball for four innings for Lakewood until Mike Galloway led off the fifth with a double. He would score two outs later on a bases-loaded walk to Smith that turned out to be the last hitter Sweeney would face. Kyle Parcus took over and walked in a run before fanning Joey Reitman to end the threat and inning. The Lakewood left-hander struck out all three hitters he faced in the sixth to earn his first win of the year.

Charleston jumped on Lakewood (3-3) starter Erick Arteaga for four runs on five hits in the second inning of the opener to take control of the contest, while Core limited the BlueClaws to a bunt base hit by Moran and a Blalock double in his 5 2/3rd innings of work to earn his first win of the season. He struck out four and walked two before Sopko retired all four hitters he faced to close out the game for the Alley Cats.

On Thursday, Moran’s two-run double in the eighth inning knocked in the go-ahead run, as Lakewood rallied for a 7-5 come-from-behind win over Hickory in the opener of a four-game series at FirstEnergy Park. The BlueClaws won their second straight game to improve to 4-3, while the Crawdads two-game win streak was halted. Hickory dropped to 3-2 and played for the first time since Sunday after being rained out for three days in Hagerstown.

Hickory threatened in the ninth against Dan Hodges, loading the bases on singles by Craig Stansbury and Jon Benick and a two-out walk to Brad Rea. However, the Lakewood left-hander struck out Boeve to end the game and earn his second save in as many opportunities.

Lakewood starter Kyle Kendrick lasted four innings and gave up three runs, all unearned, as four errors were committed behind him.

On Friday, Wardell Starling and Yoann Torrealbea each pitched effectively for four innings to lead Hickory to a 3-1 win over the BlueClaws. BlueClaws’ starter Joe Wilson fell to 0-2 after allowing all three runs on three hits and four walks in four frames. C.J. Woodrow followed with three shutout frames to run his scoreless streak to 6 2/3rd innings over his first three appearances. Kyle Parcus retired all six hitters he faced, making it 5 1/3rd scoreless innings in his first three outings.

Torrealba surrendered the BlueClaws only run on a home run to left field off the bat of Tim Gradoville in the fifth inning. It was the Lakewood receiver’s first of the year and second for the team.

Nyjer Morgan and Craig Stansberry each knocked in two runs and each drove in a run in a decisive four-run seventh inning rally to push Hickory past the BlueClaws 7-3 Saturday afternoon.

Hickory scratched across single runs against Lakewood starter Scott Mathieson in the second, third and fifth innings to fashion a 3-0 lead. The BlueClaws’ right-hander was charged with three runs, two earned, on five hits in five innings of work. Mathieson, who fanned seven in his first start, did not register a strikeout.

The BlueClaws tied the game with three runs in the sixth on a run-scoring ground out by Blalock, a run-producing single by Hansen and a double-play ground ball that chased home Blalock. Lakewood failed to score with runners at second and third and nobody out in the first inning and with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh.

But in the seventh, Anthony Bucchino, playing for the first time in the series, reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to second on a passed ball and scored the go-ahead run on a base hit by Javier Guzman off Victor Menocal, who suffered his first loss of the year. Mike McCuistion followed with a double that sent Bucchino to third before Morgan’s second sacrifice fly of the day plated Guzman to make it 5-3 Hickory. A dropped fly ball by Moran off the bat of Justin Harris allowed McCuistion to score and Stansberry finished the four-run frame by singling home Harris.

Menocal was charged with four runs, two earned, on three hits in two innings in his third outing of the season.

Moran stole five bases in the game to break the team record of four established by Chris Roberson last season on June 13 against Delmarva and tie a South Atlantic League record for most steals in a game. Jerome Hermida of Greensboro was the last of nine players since 1960 to accomplish the feat, doing so on July 16. The BlueClaws swiped 10 bases and fell one short of the league record of 11, set by Macon in July of 1991.

With their win on Sunday, the BlueClaws now head to Rome, Ga., to take on the Braves in a four-game series with some renewed confidence. They are hoping their timely hitting continues throughout the road trip. After they’re done in Rome, they will head to Columbus, Ga., to face the Columbus Catfish, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. Lakewood returns home on April 29 for a four-game series against the Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators, a Chicago White Sox affiliate.