K-Tribe wins Mills Cup opener

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on September 10, 2006 2:21 AM

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KINSTON -- The Kinston Indians beat the Frederick Keys 10-4 Saturday night at Grainger Stadium to take a 1-0 lead in the Carolina League Mills Cup Championship Series.

Kinston fought back from a 3-1 deficit to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth and take the lead for good. Kinston brought 11 batters to the plate in the sixth, scoring five runs on four hits and two errors.

Frederick bolted out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first, but Kinston's Rodney Choy Foo hit Matt Bruback's 2-1 pitch over the right field wall to tie the score in the bottom of the first inning.

The Indians offense woke up in the bottom of the sixth inning bringing 11 batters to the plate against the Keys' pitching staff. John Drennen led off with a double off the glove of first baseman Chiaravalloti and moved to third on Argenis Reyes' single. With runners at the corners, Jose Constanza's infield single scored Drennen. Kinston tied the score one batter later when Bruback bobbled Nathan Panther's bunt and then threw high to Chiaravalloti, allowing Reyes to score. Rodney Choy Foo doubled to drive in Constanza before the Keys brought on Carlos Jan in relief. The runs kept coming, as Nathan Panther scored when Stephen Head reached on a fielder's choice and Rodney Choy Foo scored the same way on a Chris De La Cruz's fielder's choice to put the Indians in front 6-3.

Kinston added more runs, including a two-run homer in the seventh inning off the bat of Carolina League MVP Jordan Brown. The K-Tribe scored their final two in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two-run single by Nathan Panther to seal the Kinston's 10-4 win.

Scott Roehl picked up the win throwing 11/3 innings of relief for Kinston. Ryan Knippschild and Randy Newsom pitched a combined 22/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Indians starter Joe Ness put in a quality five innings for Kinston. He gave up just five hits and two earned runs while striking out five. Matt Bruback took the loss for Frederick.

Kinston returns to Grainger Stadium today at 2 p.m for their final home game of the playoffs. Mariano Gomez takes the hill for the K-Tribe in game two of the best-of-five series.