Suns feel the pinch at Lakewood

July 23, 2004

LAKEWOOD, N.J. - Too bad Hagerstown couldn't stop Lakewood in its tracks when it held a 5-3 lead after 4 1/2 innings on Thursday night.

The BlueClaws pounded the Suns for six runs in the fifth inning and proceeded to assault the baseball on the way to a 19-hit attack and a 15-6 win.

Lakewood drew first blood with three runs off Omar Anez in the opening inning before Hagerstown jumped on BlueClaws starter Joe Wilson.

The Suns (10-17 South Atlantic League second half) tied the game in the second inning on a run-scoring single by Brian Munhall and a double by Tim Hutting. Munhall eventually scored on a wild pitch.

In the fourth inning, Jason Columbus and Mike Wagner both walked and Derek Barrows singled to score Wagner. Munhall walked to load the bases and Hutting drove in Wagner with a sacrifice fly to give the Suns a 5-3 lead.

However, Anez couldn't hold the lead, as a two-run single by Carlos Rodriguez and a bases-loaded double by Javon Moran ignited the BlueClaws, who rallied for six runs in the fifth to go up, 10-5.

Anez, who lost for the fifth time in six decisions, allowed 11 hits and nine earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Lakewood (13-14) added two runs in the sixth and three in the eighth off reliever Travis Nesmith.

Johanny Abreu drove in Barrows with a single for the Suns' sixth run in the eighth inning.

Hutting had two of Hagerstown's seven hits and drove in two runs. Rodriguez led the Lakewood artillery with four hits and four RBI and Moran added three hits and four RBI.

The Suns conclude the three-game series tonight before returning home to play Delmarva on Saturday night.

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