The three rookie level teams were all off on Sunday.
-P- Indianapolis eked out a 4-3 win over Columbus. Rick VandenHurk allowed two runs on six hits and three walks over six innings, fanning three. Bryan Morris gave up a solo HR in two innings. Tim Wood came on to protect the one-run lead in the 9th. He got two outs, then gave up three straight hits, but Alex Presley threw out the tying run at the plate to end the game. Brandon Boggs stayed hot, going 2-3 with a walk. Presley went 2-4. Tony Sanchez went 0-3 but picked a runner off.
-P- Altoona got no-hit by Akron's Giovanni Soto, with a final score of 2-1. The no-hitter overshadowed a strong start by Phil Irwin, who went the eight-inning distance, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and no walks, with six Ks. The Curve's only run scored when Jarek Cunningham walked, went to third on a throwing error and scored on a grounder.
-P- Bradenton beat Clearwater in 11 innings, 8-5. Converted reliever Casey Sadler gave up three runs in seven innings on six hits and no walks. He struck out ten. Dan Grovatt, Justin Howard and Kirk Singer each had two hits. The Marauders had a lot of help scoring their runs: the first four were all unearned, courtesy of five Clearwater errors. Bradenton's last four runs, all scoring in the 11th to break a 4-4 tie, occurred via one single, four walks, a hit batsman, and assorted productive outs.-P- West Virginia dropped a 4-3 decision to Augusta. Ryan Hafner allowed just one hit in five innings, but his control problems continued as he walked seven and hit one, leading to four runs. He struck out only one. You have to wonder whether he should go down to a lower level. Gregory Polanco drove in all three runs with a single and a double in four ABs.
-P- State College lost to Brooklyn, 3-2. Jason Creasy had a weak start, allowing three runs in five innings on seven hits and a walk. He struck out nobody. Barrett Barnes went 2-4 with his 3rd HR.