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The BlueClaws sent their all-time leader in wins, Matt Maloney
to the hill Friday night. Maloney led the South Atlantic League
with 16 wins and 180 strikeouts while his 2.03 ERA was second
best. The southpaw was also coming off a performance against the
Lexington Legends in the final game of the Northern Division Championship
Series where he struck out a career high 11 batters and walked
nobody.
A leadoff
single by Augusta’s Johany Abreu in the top of the first
did not deter Maloney from having a great start to the ballgame.
Abreu was doubled off and Eugenio Velez struck out to end the
inning. Velez was also the first hitter in a string of five straight
that Maloney sat down on strikes.
A two run
cushion provided by the Lakewood offense gave Maloney a little
room to work with. The pair of runs for the BlueClaws came in
the bottom of the first inning. Avelino Asprilla took first base
on a walk and swiped second base to move into scoring position.
Mike Spidale, the S.A.L. Batting Title winner, had only one hit
through the first three games in this series but his double down
the right field line brought home the game’s first run.
Jeremy Slayden brought home Spidale with a base hit to right field
and gave Lakewood a 2-0 lead.
The GreenJackets
had some opportunities slip away in the early innings. Augusta
left runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth
innings as Maloney kept them off the scoreboard.
The BlueClaws
started a two out rally in the fifth inning with Asprilla reaching
on a fielder’s choice. Spidale singled for the third time
in the game and Asprilla moved from corner to corner. Slayden
ripped a ground ball past Pablo Sandoval at first base and into
right field. Asprilla trotted home to move the BlueClaws ahead
by three runs. Slayden’s hit also prompted Augusta’s
manager, Roberto Kelly, to make a pitching change and bring in
Bryan Millikan. The first pitch Clay Harris saw from Millikan
was roped back up the middle and Spidale scored. Millikan who
had only one wild pitch during the regular season, threw two in
a row which brought Slayden around from second base to give the
BlueClaws a 5-0 lead.
After the
fifth inning, the ballgame belonged to the BlueClaws and Maloney.
Maloney reached double digit strikeouts for the second consecutive
playoff game. Mike Mooney was the tenth strikeout victim to Maloney
in the eighth inning for the second out with two outs in the inning
and runners at the corners.
Maloney came
back out in the ninth inning looking for a complete game shutout
and the BlueClaws’ responded with a full 90 second standing
ovation while Maloney threw his warm up pitches on the mound.
The crowd was not quieted when David Maroul led off the inning
with a double to left field. Maloney came right back and struck
out Barry Gunther and Ben Copeland to set a new career high with
12 strikeouts. The final out of the 2006 season was recorded when
Pablo Sandoval popped out to Matt Thayer in right field.
The 5-0 win
was the BlueClaws 20th shutout of the year and Maloney threw Lakewood’s
first nine inning complete game shutout of the season. The BlueClaws
have won their first South Atlantic League Championship since
the team originated in 2001.
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