News release from the TinCaps:
Offense Explodes in 16-10 TinCaps Win
The TinCaps broke out of an offensive slump in a big way at Parkview Field Friday night, as Fort Wayne out-slugged the South Bend Silver Hawks, 16-10. Every TinCap in the lineup had at least one hit to combine for 20 total. Catcher Rodney Daal led the charge with two home runs and six runs batted in.
In a game that lasted 3:26 minutes — the second longest nine-inning game of the season for Fort Wayne — South Bend scored the first of the game’s 26 runs in the second inning. Fidel Pena, who headlined all sluggers with eight runs batted in, singled home Alex Glenn. That, however, was all the Silver Hawks could manage against TinCaps starter Matthew Shepherd. The right-hander from Bluff City, TN, limited the visitors to one run on six hits in four-and-two-thirds innings. Shepherd, who was making his first start of the season after 25 relief appearances, struck out four.
Fort Wayne (4-11, 47-37) began its offensive barrage in the bottom of the second inning against Jesse Darrah (8-5). Corey Adamson hit his first of two triples in the game and scored on a grounder hit by Tyler Stubblefield. The TinCaps then erupted for five runs in the bottom of the third. Diego Goris, Chris Burke, Corey Adamson, and Daal all plated runs with hits to give Fort Wayne a 6-1 lead. The TinCaps tacked on three more in the fourth when Maxx Tissenbaum and Adamson both delivered RBI-hits to swell the advantage to 9-1.
Meanwhile, South Bend (10-6, 54-31) began to mount a comeback in the top of the sixth against Fort Wayne’s bullpen. Pena produced a bases-clearing triple. Socrates Brito then brought Pena home on a double to make it 9-5.
The slugfest continued, though, with the TinCaps’ offense firing right back in the bottom half of the sixth. Luis Tejada singled home two runs and Stubblefield added another with a sacrifice fly. Daal then clubbed a three-run shot to extend Fort Wayne’s lead to 14-5.
The Silver Hawks still didn’t go away, though. The shortstop Pena capped off his standout night with a grand slam to right field to bring South Bend back within five at 14-9. The Silver Hawks again scored once in the top of the eighth. Fort Wayne also finished its scoring in the eighth thanks to Daal’s second homer of the game, a two-run shot.
Daal, whose parents were in the sell-out crowd of 7,401 all the way from the Netherlands, became the first TinCaps player this season to have a pair of two-homer games. The Amsterdam native also launched two long balls on May 12 at Dayton. Daal now leads the TinCaps with six home runs on the year.
Trevor Gott (1-0) – one of five relievers used by José ValentÃn – earned credit for the victory after pitching one-and-one-third scoreless innings. The win was Gott’s first as a professional since he was selected by San Diego out of the University of Kentucky in the sixth round of last month’s draft. Chris Nunn worked one-and-two-thirds frames to pick up his fifth save of the season.
The 16 runs and 20 hits were Fort Wayne’s second most this season, respectively. Back at Parkview Field on April 20, the TinCaps scored a season-high 20 runs on 21 hits against the Lansing Lugnuts.
The TinCaps begin a new series at Parkview Field Saturday night against the Great Lakes Loons. Bryan Rodriguez is Fort Wayne’s scheduled starter, opposed by Great Lakes’ Tom Windle. The game can be heard on The Fan 1380 and TheFanFortWayne.com, and seen on XFINITY Channel 81.
Related Images:
