MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers swept a doubleheader from the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish in baseball action at Feinbloom Field Saturday afternoon, taking game one 7-6 and the night cap at 11-6.
In the first game, Mitch Rodriguez chopped a ball past Joaquin Valdes at third base, scoring Manny Pedrozo from third in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Bucs (9-5) over the Sailfish (1-4) 7-6.
The Bucs built a 5-0 lead after the first four innings. In the first, Andrew Frezza lifted a sacrifice fly and John Servidio added a solo homer for a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Nick Shaw drilled an RBI single to score Evan Ashley, while Frezza added a two-run single in the fourth.
The Sailfish began to chip into the lead in the sixth. Mark Jarvis ripped a two-run homer off the scoreboard and Josh Santos added an RBI single to make it 5-3.
The Bucs added an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Servidio doubled with two outs and came around on a base hit by Joel Keefe.
In the ninth, Josh Holmes (1-0) came in to protect a 6-3 lead and surrendered a three-run homer to Zach Grau to tie the game, setting the stage for Rodriguez’s heroics in the bottom of the inning.
Holmes got the win after working the ninth, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out one. Andrew Koubek worked the first five innings for the Bucs, striking out nine, while allowing three runs, all in the sixth, on four hits and four walks.
Brett Richardson (0-1) took the loss for the Sailfish. He worked 2.2 innings, allowing just the one run on one hit and a walk with three strikeouts.
In the nightcap, again built a big lead and held on for the win. Frezza, Servidio and Keefe knocked in runs in the first inning to erase a 1-0 deficit.
In the fourth, Rodriguez blasted a three-run homer over the centerfield fence to cap a five-run inning and the Bucs were up 8-1.
But the Sailfish scored four times in the fifth off Barry starter Aaron Main (2-1). Jesse Gibbs had a two-run single that got lost in the gloaming and Scott Urbanek added a two-run double to right center that Frezza nearly caught on the warning track.
After another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Zach Grau made it 8-6 in favor of the Bucs, they tacked on three runs in the bottom of the inning to ice the game. Rodriguez led off with a double and scored ahead of Brett Rossi’s single. Chris Leon walked with the bases loaded to drive in Shaw and Rossi scored on a wild pitch.
Brian Milanes worked the final 1.2 innings to earn his first save. He allowed one hit and one walk without a run and struck out one. Main got the win, working five innings and allowing five runs on six hits and five walks. He struck out two. Zach Grau (1-3) took the loss for the Sailfish. He gave up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and two walks in four innings.
The Bucs travel to Florida International to face the Panthers on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 pm.
(02/23/2008 at Miami Shores, Fla.)
(Game 1)
Barry 7, Palm Beach Atlantic 6
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Palm Beach Atlantic. 000 003 003 - 6 9 4 (1-13)
Barry........................... 210 201 001 - 7 12 0 (8-5)
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Pitchers: Palm Beach Atlantic - Owen Grau; Brett Hammann(6); Brett Richardson(7). Barry - Andrew Koubek; Brian Mastin(6); Robbie Conver(8); Josh Holmes(9).
Win-Josh Holmes (1-0) Loss-Brett Richardson (0-1) T-3:12
HR PBABB - Zach Grau (2); Mark Jarvis (1).
HR BUB - John Servidio (4).
Weather: sizzling
Koubek faced 3 batters in the 6th.
(Game 2)
Barry 11, Palm Beach Atlantic 6
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Palm Beach Atlantic. 100 041 0 - 6 8 1 (1-14)
Barry............................ 300 503 X - 11 12 0 (9-5)
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Pitchers: Palm Beach Atlantic - Zach Grau; Oscar Cuevas(5); Peter Rodriguez(6). Barry - Aaron Main; Robbie Conver(6); Brian Milanes(6).
Win-Aaron Main (2-1) Save-Brian Milanes (1) Loss-Zach Grau (1-3) T-2:44 A-251
HR BUB - Mitch Rodriguez (1).
Photo Gallery (by Scott Moore/SPMSportspage.com)