K-Tribe loses two

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on July 30, 2006 2:18 AM

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WILMINGTON, Del. -- Blue Rock bats bashed 13 hits off of K-Tribe pitching as Wilmington beat Kinston 5-1 Saturday night in Delaware.

Kinston has now tied a season high with three losses in a row.

Wilmington got to K-Tribe starter Chuck Lofgren (13-5) late, as Lofgren gave up a season-high nine hits in six innings of work. Wilmington scored two in the fifth inning and two in the sixth off of the 20-year-old lefthander, who tied a season-high by giving up four earned runs.

Kinston took a 1-0 lead with an RBI single by Jose Constanza, scoring Argenis Reyes in the top of the fifth inning. Wilmington came right back in the bottom of the fifth, with a two-RBI double by Brian Pritz putting Wilmington up for good 2-1. RBI singles from Jeff Corasletti and Jeff Natale sealed the victory for the Blue Rocks in the sixth.

Kinston had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, but Matt Whitney popped out to center after sending a screamer down the left field line that landed just a couple inches foul one pitch earlier.

Kinston is now 18-17 in the second half of the season and 65-40 overall. The Indians send Joe Ness (8-3, 3.42) to the mound in the final game of the four-game series today at 1:35 p.m. Kinston returns home to Grainger Stadium on Monday to open up a six-game homestand starting with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

FRIDAY'S GAME

Blue Rocks 5, K-Tribe 4

A controversial fair call on a ball ripped up the first base line, gave Wilmington a 5-4 walk-off win over Kinston on Friday night. With two outs and a two strike count on him in the bottom of the ninth, Blue Rock second baseman Iggy Suarez ripped a double down the line, scoring two and winning the game. The K-Tribe began the last half inning with a 4-2 lead, but three of the first four batters got hits of Kinston closer T.J. Burton (1-5), who picked up the loss. One of the hits was from Wilmington's Jeff Natale, who brought the Blue Rocks to within one scoring Bryan Pritz with one out in the ninth. With runners at the corners Burton struck out Ian Bladergroan for the second out of the inning. Burton had two strikes on Suarez before the game winning hit. Down 2-0 early, Kinston battled back with RBIs by Stephen Head and Brandon Pinckney. Tied at two in the sixth inning, Kinston took the lead when a throwing error by Wilmington's first baseman Ian Bladergroan allowed Head to score. Matt Whitney scored on an RBI sacrifice fly by Armando Camacaro making the score 4-3.

The loss erases a great starting effort by Jensen Lewis who pitched 52/3 innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs.