COLUMBUS BROWN SOX (Double-A)
It was a slow start for Columbus, not what we were expecting, and the team gave up a lot of runs, 50 to be precise in just the six games.
4-game series @Trenton Generals (Atlantic City affiliate)
Game one was a low scoring affair with Trenton just outhitting the Brown Sox’s by 5 hits to 4. Runs in the third and the fifth was enough to win the home opener for the Generals. Three times Columbus got a runner as far as Second Base, but only once as far as Third.
In Game two the teams swapped runs in the first, but the Generals broke the game open in the bottom of the third when they added four runs to lead 5-2. Despite Columbus scoring a run in the 4th & 5th they still went into the ninth 6-4 down. Trenton started the innings by walking the first two batters and that set the tone for the innings. Columbus sent 11 men to the plate and only needed four hits to plate six runs and snatch the game 10-6, levelling the series. Leadoff hitter Jose Avila went 4-5, scoring two runs and driving in three runs.
Game three was the game the series burst out with runs being scored in clumps throughout the game. Trenton entered the ninth 11-7 ahead, but unfortunately for the Brown Sox, three hits and two walks was only enough to plate two runs as the home team secured an 11-9 win. Backup catcherGerman Gomez, in his season debut, went 3-4 with a walk as well, scoring once and driving in a run.
Columbus entered the final game of the series down 2-1 and runs in the bottom of the first and second gave them an early two run deficit. The Brown Sox scored in the third and fourth to tie the game before 3-run offense bursts in the sixth and the seventh took the game away from the home side. Columbus squared the series with a 9-3 win, catcher Gus Mollema went 3-4, driving in five of the runs and Aloisio Prudente, in the clean-up spot went 3-3 with two walks and scoring four times.
4/1 @Trenton L 0-2
4/2 @Trenton W 10-6
4/3 @Trenton L 9-11
4/4 @Trenton W 9-3
2-games vs St Joseph Butchers (Twin City affiliate)
The home opener for Columbus burst into a frenzy of runs in the very first innings. Four hits for the Butchers had plated four runs in the top of the first before the Brown Sox burst back with five hits in the bottom half including homer ruins from Mollema & Luis Ayala. An early 6-4 lead was turned around in the fifth with three runs for St Joseph turning the score into a 9-8 lead for them. The Butchers were in command from then on and five runs in the top of the seventh really were just icing on the cake as Columbus lost 9-17, outhit 15-20 by the Butchers. Mollema went 3-5, scoring once and driving in two while Arthur Carnini hit 2 for 3 with a walk, scoring three times and driving in another run.
Game two was just as bad as the first. St Joseph took a two-run lead in the top of the second and by the sixth it was a 4-2 lead. The final straw was a six-run burst in the top of the ninth to complete an 11-2 win for the visitors. Jose Avila went 2-5 scoring once and driving one of the two runs in.
4/5 v St Joseph L 9-17
4/6 v St Joseph L 2-11
Standings as at April 6th
