Fort Wayne Wizards at Michigan Battle Cats
April 14th, 2002
| Fort Wayne |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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1 |
0 |
1 |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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2 |
7 |
2 |
| Michigan |
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0 |
1 |
0 |
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0 |
0 |
2 |
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0 |
2 |
X |
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5 |
9 |
0 |
E-Benick, Serrano, LOB FW-8, MIC-4, 2B-Hastings, Serrano, Mote, Lydic, HR-Mote (Stewart), SB-Anderson 2, Conrad, CS-Serrano, Mote, HBP-McCool, Stockton, SACF-Serrano
HB-Houlton, Rodaway, SO-McCool 2, Hastings 2, Stockton, Serrano, Reinking 2, Conrad, Shelf 3, Lydic, Lucas, BB-Benick, Trzesniak
T-2:17, A-791
Battle Creek Enquirer
by Howie Magner
Talk about your hot corners.
Michigan third baseman Joe Lydic hit the go ahead two run double and Trevor Mote, who spent the day across the diamond at first, was 4 for 4 with a two run homer in Michigan's 5-2 triumph over visiting Fort Wayne on Sunday.
It was the eighth win in nine games for the Battle Cats, who now sit alone atop the Midwest League's Eastern Division with an 8-3 record.
Through the team's hot start, one thing has remained consistent, Mote's lumber.
I've just been going about my business and I'm seeing the ball well and there's been a lot of luck involved." said a modest Mote, "I've been very fortunate."
He's been very good, too. Mote's perfect day at C.O. Brown Stadium Sunday upped his season average to .40 an 18 for 40 stretch that includes three home runs.
Seven of Mote's starts have come at third base and his hot stick has made it hard for Lydic, a Midwest League All Star third sacker last season, to get at bats. But Lydic knows baseball's rule about messing with a streak and has no complaints about playing time.
"Trevor Mote is having a hcek of a year so far. He's on fire," Lydic said, "I mean, he's probably the best hitter in baseball right now, so that's making it tough to get in at third base. But if that's what it takes to win as a team, then that's the way we should do it."
The Cats have been doing a lot right lately, even when things go wrong.
Michigan had to recover from seeing starting pitcher Cory Doyne leave the game after just one pitch. The right hander threw a strike to Fort Wayne's Lee McCool, but aggravated a strained hamstring on the throw and headed for the dugout.
"It's better than giving up a home run and coming out after that," joked Doyne, who said he felt fine after the game, but whose status for his next start remains unknown.
"I just let one go and felt a little pop, so I shit it down.".
Doyne's quick exit ment a quick call to the bullpen for D.J. Houlton, who preceded this year's relief role by starting 13 games in short season ball last year, and the righty said he treated Sunday's appearance just like a start.
Though he was understandably shaky in the first inning, hitting McCool with a 0-2 pitch and walking the bases loaded, he escaped the jam with one of his five strikeouts and worked four innings of three hit, one run ball.
Brian Rodaway took over for Houlton with the game tied a 1 all in the fifth, as Michigan's run came on Matt Lucas' second inning RBI single and Fort Wayne tying it on Eddie Serrano's fourth inning run scoring double.
The Wizards went ahead 2-1 in the sixth inning thanks to a double by Joe Hastings and Serrna's subsequent sacrifice fly.
But in the bottom of the sixth, the Cats not only took Rodaway (1-0) off the hook, they made a winner of him.
Todd Shelf started the two out rally by getting aboard when Wizards third baseman Josh Benick couldn't field a ground ball. Mote's single sent Shelf all the way to third, then Lydic absoulutely smoked a ball of Fort Wayne's Joe Germano (0-1) to the left center gap that cleared the bases and put Michigan ahead 3-2.
In case the Wizards had any comeback plans, Mote shelved then in the eighth inning with hit 385 foot opposite field home run that plated Kerry Hodges and made the score 5-2.
Brandon Wood capped things off, earning his first save of the season with three innings of two hit ball.