Redlegs Advance to 4-3 in DH Sweep of Stars

05/17/2021
 

Game two was a completely different story. Camden turned to rookie Lucas Smith to try and keep the Stars bats quiet, but they greeted the rookie right hander with 2 (1 earned) runs in the top of the 1st inning to take an early lead. After the initial butterfly’s faded away, Smith settled in and blanked the stars over his next three innings of work to turn in a quality first career outing. Smith would end up taking the no-decision but struck out 4 and only surrendered one hit in his debut.

Camden finally game Smith some support in the bottom of the 3rd. Eric Jameson and Jake Edwards singled to start the frame, and after a strikeout, Jacob Robinson brought two runs home with a base hit. Robinson would later score on a passed ball, giving the Redlegs the 3-2 lead.

Jesse Jones manufactured a run in the 4th to extend the lead to 4-2 by singling and moving around the bases thanks to a few pitches that made their way to the backstop.

The lead was short lived, as the Stars put themselves right back in the driver’s seat in the top of the 5th inning. They greeted the Redlegs bullpen with 5 hits, and eventually scored 5 runs thanks in part to a pair of Redleg defensive miscues.

The Redlegs inched back in the bottom half of the 5th, scoring twice more to cut the lead down to 7-6. A ground out and fly out started the inning, but Brad Malott was able to start the rally by singling with two outs. Malott extended his active hit streak to 10 games with the hit, which is currently a team high and his career best. Kyle Arend then walked, and Mike Hartman delivered the clutch double to bring both runners home.

After a scoreless top half of the 6th, Camden quickly loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom half. Evan Koogler and Saraco-Polner were both plunked by pitches before Eric Jameson delivered his 4th single of the afternoon to load the bases. Lucas Smith then roped a single over the head of the short stop to score the tying run. The Stars then, with a drawn in infield, were able to turn a ground ball into a force out at the plate to keep the game tied with two outs and the bases still loaded. Brad Malott then broke the tie by working a walk to give the Redlegs the lead. Kyle Arend and Mike Hartman then teamed up to put things away. Arend drove home a pair of runs with a base hit, and then Hartman did his best impression of his previous at bat, blasting another double into the left center field gap to score two more.

Evan Koogler tossed two scoreless innings to end the game without further drama.

Boxscore

PlayerABHRRBIBB
J Robinson41220
B Malott31201
K Arend21222
M Hartman42040
B Howard30001
J Jones32100
E Koogler20100
C Saraco-Polner10001
E Jameson22201
J Edwards31100
L Smith31110

2B: Hartman 2

PlayerIPHRERKBB
L Smith 412047
E Koogler (W)365131