Kinston claims Saturday contest

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on July 25, 2005 2:14 PM

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KINSTON -- Rodney Choy Foo continued his hot hitting with the decisive RBI double in the seventh and Tom Mastny matched a season-high with eight strikeouts as Kinston defeated Potomac 4-3 before 1,346 fans Saturday night at historic Grainger Stadium.

The game was the conclusion of the suspended contest from Friday night and the win pushed Kinston's record to 11-16 in the second half and 52-45 overall, while Potomac fell to 15-12 and 46-51 overall.

Amazingly, the field was ready less than 24 hours after a torrential downpour dumped 6.8 inches of water on the playing surface and flooded both dugouts.

The game was resumed in the top of the second inning with two on and two out, but Potomac's Chad Chop cleared the bases on Mastny's second pitch, inside-outing a slider down the left field line to score Kory Casto and Salomon Manriquez and give Potomac a 2-0 lead. Mastny settled down though and gave up just two hits over the next five innings, and the Kinston offense finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Caleb Brock led off the fifth with a single to left, and went to third on Mike Conroy's double two batters later. Argenis Reyes followed with a tapper up the third base line, and with Brock running on contact Casto's only play was to first. Reyes was able to beat the throw however, as Brock scored and Conroy moved to third. Nathan Panther then hit a roller up the middle that ricocheted off the second base bag as Conroy scored the tying run.

It would stay tied until the seventh, when Potomac's Mike Hinckley made a mistake to Conroy. Ahead in the count 1-2, Hinckley hung a curveball that Conroy drove over the wall in right-center for a solo home run and a 3-2 advantage. It was Conroy's fourth homer and marked the first time Kinston had led in 33 innings. Reyes then bunted his way aboard on the next pitch, and the Nationals summoned Chris Schroder from the bullpen. Schroder struck out Panther for the first out, but after a prolonged battle Choy Foo delivered a clutch RBI double to left-center to score Reyes all the way from first with a crucial insurance run. Manriquez lofted a solo home run in the ninth to make it 4-3, but with Jim Ed Warden warming up Tony Sipp struck out Vince Rooi to end the game.

Mastny (5-2) tossed 5.1 shutout innings in his longest appearance of the year, and allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out eight. After not striking out more than five hitters in a game in his first 22 outings, Mastny has now had back-to-back eight K performances. Scott Roehl started the game Friday and was charged with two runs (one earned) in 1.2 innings, the first runs he has allowed all season. Sipp went two innings for his first save. Hinckley (2-4), surrendered four runs and nine hits in five innings, while walking one and striking out seven. Conroy scored two runs and finished 3-3, missing the cycle by a triple. Reyes went 3-4 and reached base four times, while Choy Foo went 2-4.