K-Tribe powers up

Published in Sports on August 10, 2006 2:13 PM

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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Kinston pounded three home runs against Myrtle Beach and Chuck Lofgren picked up his 15th win of the season as the K-Tribe won their third straight game Wednesday night, 5-4.

Stephen Head, Brandon Pinckney and Jordan Brown all went deep as Lofgren went the distance in the rain-shortened victory.

Lofgren (15-4) tied Brian Slocum's modern-day club record for wins, which was set back in 2004. Frank Bork had 19 wins for the Kinston Eagles in 1962. Lofgren pitched six innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs while striking out five.

The contest went just six innings as rain in the area caused the game to be called complete and the second game of the scheduled doubleheader was pushed back until today.

Head started Wednesday night's power surge in the second inning with a two-run homer that just made it over the wall in right. It was Head's 11th round-tripper of the year, scoring Rodney Choy Foo and giving Kinston a 2-0 lead.

The Pelicans came right back with some pop in their bats as a solo home run by Kala Ka'aihue in the bottom of the second cut Kinston's lead to 2-1.

In the top of the sixth, the Indians put three more runs on the scoreboard thanks to back-to-back home runs by Pinckney and Brown.

It was Pinckney's fourth home run and Brown's team-leading 12th homer, giving Kinston (25-19 second half, 72-42 overall) a 5-1 lead.

The Pelicans (22-21, 57-56) answered with a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, but Lofgren got a strikeout with two on to end the inning and keep the 5-4 lead intact.

The skies opened up after the final out of the sixth, and after an hour rain delay, the game was called complete.

Kinston will try to get in a doubleheader again today with two seven-inning games starting at 5 p.m.