Carolina League: K-Tribe clinches first-half Southern Division title

Published in Sports on June 12, 2006 2:06 PM

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KINSTON -- The Kinston Indians clinched the Carolina League Southern Division first half title with a 7-2 win over Myrtle Beach on Sunday afternoon at Grainger Stadium.

The K-Tribe clinches with seven more games to play in the first half of the season.

Brian Barton started the game with a bang, knocking his team-leading ninth home run of the season, with two outs and one on in the bottom of the first.

Kinston added a run in the third when Trevor Crowe scored from third base on a wild pitch.

Up 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Brandon Pinckney lined an RBI single that brought home Rodney Choy Foo from second. Crowe got Pinckney home later in the inning with an RBI single of his own to make the score 5-1.

Argenis Reyes added the knockout blow with a two-out, two-run single in the sixth.

Chris Hicks picked up his third win of the season going four innings, giving up one earned run on two walks, but giving up no hits. After walking the first two batters he faced, he retired the next 12 hitters in a row.

The first half title assures the Indians a spot in the Carolina League playoffs for a sixth-straight season. It is the longest consecutive playoff streak in Carolina League history. The K-Tribe has made the playoffs in 10 of the last 12 season (no playoffs in 2000 and 1998).

Kinston has won a first half title the last three years in a row. This is Kinston's 20th season as a Cleveland Indians affiliate, with the K-Tribe making the playoffs in 15 of the 20 seasons as an Indians affiliate.