Astros Get Payback Against Oxford’s Monsters

Oxford, AL – Gwinnett turns tables on Monsters, holds them to four hits after a big Monday while run-ruling them for the second time

By Al Muskewitz

Get the leadoff man on base and chances are pretty good you’ll be able to do some damage. The Gwinnett Astros put their leadoff man on in six innings Wednesday night and it propelled them to a 10-0 run-rule win over the Choccolocco Monsters to snap a three-game losing streak.

Chase Evans doubled in each of his first two at-bats, Jalen Fulwood broke it open with a three-run homer in the fifth and two Astros pitchers shut out a Monsters lineup that had gotten hot in the last week to four hits.

It was the third time the Monsters (4-8) have been run-ruled this season and the second time by the Astros (4-6).

The Astros collected 16 hits off three Monsters pitchers. Not all of them were hit hard, but they all counted and several of them came at the start of innings.

“It’s usually going to be a good night if you do that and it gives you ways to score,” Monsters manager Steve Gillispie said.

Devin Warner led off the second inning with a single and rode home on Evans’ first double of the game. Evans led off the fourth with a double down the left field line and scored the second run on Mike Rodriguez’ grounder for the second out of the inning.

Monsters reliever A.J. Jarrell followed Monsters starter Austin Goode and opened the fifth with a strikeout, but then the Astros zipped off four straight singles and they all scored. Fulwood capped the inning with his three-run homer to make it 7-0.

The Astros made it 9-0 in the sixth after a leadoff single and Michael McGinnis walked it off with a no-out RBI single in the eighth after Noah Barton’s leadoff double.

Eleven Astros collected hits. Warner, Barton, Elgin Bennett, Ethan Roberts and Evans had two hits apiece.

Left-hander Christian Davis and Jeffrey Coy Martin held a Monsters lineup that had 39 hits in its previous three games and scored 12 runs on 15 hits against the Astros Monday night to four hits.

Davis went five innings, allowed three hits and struck out five. He gave up two hits and an earned run in three innings of a no-decision against the Monsters on June 8.

“A lot of credit goes to their pitcher,” Gillispie said. “We started off actually the first couple innings with a pretty good offensive approach to him, we just didn’t have much to show for it and then we just kind of got away from it and he had some easy innings.

“They adjusted to us before we adjusted to them and the first team to adjust usually wins.”

The Monsters are the only team in the SBL without a regular-season home run this season, but Tanner Martin came within a few feet for the second time this year when he hit a two-out double in the second. It was their last hit until Brennan McCullough’s single in the seventh.

Monsters centerfielder Brendan Prince led off the game with a single, extending his hitting streak to eight games. He has gotten a hit in every game he’s played.

Prince will represent the Monsters in next week’s Prospect Showcase Series in Lynchburg, Va. Gillispie is being considered for the coaching staff.  [*** read more sports stories]

Choccolocco     000 000 00 –   0   4  2
Gwinnett           010 152 01 – 10 16  1
WP: Christian Davis (1-0). LP: Austin Goode (0-1). 2B: Tanner Martin (C), Chase Evans 2 (G), Noah Barton (G). HR: Jalen Fulwood (G).

Sunbelt Baseball League standings

Wednesday’s Games
Atlanta Crackers 5, Brookhaven 3
Columbus 10, Atlanta Blues 8
Gainesville 5, Waleska 3
Gwinnett 10, Choccolocco 0

Friday’s Games
Alpharetta at Gainesville, 5:35 p.m.
Brookhaven at Atlanta Blues, 6:05 p.m.
Choccolocco at Columbus, 6:05 p.m.
Gwinnett at Waleska, 6:05 p.m.

Saturday’s Games
Waleska at Atlanta Crackers, 1:05 p.m.
Alpharetta at Gainesville, 5:35 p.m.
Brookhaven at Atlanta Blues, 6:05 p.m.
Columbus at Choccolocco, 6:05 p.m.