Fort Wayne Wizards at South Bend SilverHawks
April 10th, 2004
| Fort Wayne |
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1 |
0 |
0 |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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1 |
7 |
0 |
| South Bend |
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2 |
0 |
0 |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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0 |
0 |
X |
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2 |
7 |
2 |
E-Firlit 2, LOB FW-9, SB-6, HR-Frazier (Thompson), SB-Reynolds
WP-Kinsey, HBP-Valenzuela (Kinsey)
U-Cory Blaser, Gregory Tucker
T-2:25, A-1,039
South Bend Tribune
by Curt Rallo
Alex Frazier said one of his biggest challanges to the start of the minor league baseball season has been to have the mental toughness to block out the frigid weather. Judging by Frazier's numbers, it must be a sweltering tropic zone in his mind.
Frazier slugged a two run homer in the bottom of the first inning, poweing the South Bend SilverHawks to a 2-1 victory Saturday night against the Fort Wayne Wizards. South Bend is 3-0, all at Fort Wayne's expense.
South Bend and Fort Wayne each get today off. The Hawks resume play at home Monday night against West Michigan.
Fort Wayne grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Casey Baker walked, advanced on a single by Fernando Valenzuela Jr., and scored on a single by George Kottaras.
South Bend countered with Frazier's homer following an Augie Murillo walk.
"I was sitting on a changeup and he (Fort Wayne pitcher Sean Thompson) snuck a fastball in." Frazier said. " I kind of just pulled my hands in and that's what happend. I thought it was going to be an out, just a deep fly ball."
Frazier's blast continued a power surge by the SilverHawks' left fielder. Frazier has hit two homers and driven in five runs in three games. He has six hits in 13 at bats.
"(Frazier) seems to be coming through in the clutch." South Bend manager Tony Perezchica said. "He's on a good roll. Hopefully we keep him like that all year. It's not how you start, it's how you finish up. He's working on his approach at the plate, and he stays short, if he does that consistently, he's going to be ok."
Frazier said dealing with the weather is his biggest cahllenge lately. "I just try to block out the weather," Frazier said. "I'm from Florida so it's a challenge. I have to be tough and play through it. I figure if I stay strong through this weather, once it gets hot, it'll be on the up and up for me."
Frazier also turned in an exceptional defensive play, gunning down Fort Wayne's Baker at second as he tried to stretch a single into a double in the fifth inning.
Both teams received strong pitching performances. Each starting pitcher worked five innings. South Bend's Chris Kinsey gave up one run on five hits, and Fort Wayne's Thompson gave up two runs on five hits. Fort Wayne's run in the first was the first earned run surrendered by South Bend pitcher's after 18 innings of no earned runs. In three games, South Bend has allowed a total of only four runs.
South Bend's bullpen slammed the door on Fort Wayne in the final four innings. Walt Novosel, Aric LeClair and Alex Cremidan shut out Fort Wayne, giving up only two hits over the final four innings. LeClair struck out four in his two innings of work.
"There's no secret, the guys are throwing strikes and they're giving themselves a chance to succeed." Perezchica said. "Chris struggled a little bit with his control but he battled through it and give us five good innings."
"The bullepn did a great job," Perezchica continued, "Novosel did a good job, but we had to take him out because he had a little twinge in his throwing shoulder."