Single run enough to end Slashers’ drought

June 11, 2008 10:18 am

— By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
Since a 20-run outburst on Saturday night, the Joplin Slashers’ bats went quiet.
Blanked 4-0 on Sunday night by Hays, the Slashers managed just one run and eight hits in two games on Tuesday night.
But Travis Jacobi’s run-scoring single in the fifth inning and a strong pitching performance lifted the Slashers to a 1-0 victory over the Dodge City A’s on Tuesday night to salvage a split in the Jayhawk League doubleheader at Joe Becker Stadium.
The A’s won the opener 6-0 behind a four-hit pitching performance and home runs by Chris Ciesla and Travis Meiners.
The Slashers (4-4 2-4 Jayhawk League), who plated eight runs in the first inning and nine in the second last Saturday, scored in only two of their next 25 innings.
The Slashers halted a 19-inning drought in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s nightcap when Colby Price lined a double to right-center field, took third on Keith Kenny’s sacrifice and scored on Travis Jacobi’s single to right.
C.J. Maffei and two relievers made the run stand.
Maffei, a left-hander who’s signed with Missouri Southern, allowed three hits in five innings, walked three batters and struck out four.
Relievers Colin Feneis and Quentin Morgan pitched one hitless inning apiece, although both had to work out of jams. A dandy play by second baseman Patrick Walsh robbed Chris Ciesla of a hit in the sixth, and shortstop Tyler Robbins threw out a runner attempting to reach third on a grounder for the second out in the seventh.
“That performance is exactly what we wanted ... stop the bleeding,” Slashers head coach Denny Vilela said. “C.J. came in and threw strikes, filled the zone up. He had a filthy changeup tonight. I was very happy for him. I was very happy with all three of our throwers in the second game.”
Dodge City starter Dillon Griffin allowed three hits, fanned seven batters and walked three in four innings.
“Offensively we are really hurting right now,” Vilela said. “Granted (Dodge City’s pitchers) threw the ball well, but we have to make the adjustments. We need to be able to hit early in the count. We’re looking at strike one, then strike two will be some wrinkle in the dirt, and now we’re chasing everything.”
A’s southpaw Jermaine Barksdale allowed three hits in 5 2/3 innings in the opener, walked four batters and struck out five. Kevin Ginorio, a right-hander, allowed a hit and two walks in the seventh but escaped the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to preserve the shutout.
“The two starters pitched well. It’s their first two outings of the year,” said A’s coach Phil Stephenson, the brother of Wichita State baseball coach Gene Stephenson. “Griffin threw for us last year, and he was a lot better this year. He was coming off arm surgery last year. He was a lot sharper this year.
“Barksdale showed a really sharp breaking ball and seemed to keep their guys off balance, spotted his pitches well. And Ginorio did the same thing, and the pitching in the second game was good, too. We actually have pitched pretty well so far this season. Even the game we gave up seven runs, we didn’t play any defense. We made four errors.”
Kevin Enkelman’s two singles accounted for half of the hits for the Slashers. A’s second baseman Max Taylor started double plays after two of the Slashers’ hits, and another Slasher runner was thrown out stealing.
Ciesla’s two-run home run to left capped a three-run first inning for the A’s (1-4, 1-4), and Meiners homered to left to start the fifth. Ciesla followed Meiners’ shot with a triple to center, and he scored on a groundout. Ciesla also hit two doubles in the nightcap.
Slashers starter Joe Bartlinski gave up five runs and six hits in four-plus innings, walked two and fanned two.
The Slashers and A’s conclude their three-game series with a nine-inning contest tonight at 7.
The Slashers’ game Thursday night against Derby (Kan.) has been moved from Joe Becker Stadium to Crowder College. Game time is 7.

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