Weevils blast out of slump with 11-3 victory over Greensboro

BY RONNIE GALLAGHER
SALISBURY POST

When Frankie Brooks walked off the mound after the top of the first, trailing 3-0, he had only one thought in mind: “Horrible. Just horrible.”

When he took the mound for the top of the second, however, his teammates had given him a 4-3 advantage and he had only one thought in mind. “Beautiful. Just beautiful.”

Brooks took it from there, throwing seven strong innings, helping the Weevils to an 11-3 pounding of the Greensboro Bats at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.

Piedmont was coming off its worst week of the season, when it dropped four of five games. Friday night, in a 15-hit attack that saw eight of the nine starters reach safely, the Weevils (10-6, 57-30) resembled the team that had the best record in the South Atlantic League during the first half of the season.

“I wouldn’t call it a slump,” said catcher Russ Jacobson, who broke the game open with a 3-run homer in the second inning. “We were in a little rut. But we’re on track now.”

Things looked desperate after the top of the first. Brooks, usually a control pitcher, walked two and gave up three hits.

“Ifelt fine,” said the Brooklyn native. “I just couldn’t throw strikes.”

Three runs scored and only a perfect throw by centerfielder Shomari Beverly to cut down Torre Tyson at the plate prevented further damage.

“Shomari’s throw was the biggest play of the game,” decided manager Greg Legg. “If they score another one, with men on second and third and no outs, there’s a real good chance you’re going to your bullpen in the second or third inning.”

Brooks got out of the inning and the Weevils quickly took the lead in the bottom half, shellacking Bats starter Mike Knowles (3-10).

Jay Sitzman led off with a triple, followed by Ambiorix Reyes, double and consecutive singles by Marlon Byrd and Nate Espy. Jorge Padilla singled home the tying run and Brian Hitchcox had a sacrifice fly for a 4-3 lead.

“Getting down 3-0 put more pressure on us,” said Jacobson. “But I think our team likes the pressure of coming back. Some teams don’t but we do.”

Jacobson then blew Knowles away in the second when he powered his 14th homer of the season over the left-field fence. Suddenly, it was 7-3.

“It’s tough to score three runs and go out two innings later down four,” Legg said. “It takes the wind out of your sails. Shomari had the biggest defensive play but Jake had the biggest offensive play.”

“If (the homer) broke their back, that’s good,” Jacobson said. “If it didn’t, I know there’s four other guys behind me who are going to do the same thing.”

The Weevils kept pecking away. In the fifth, Sitzman laid down a perfect bunt with two outs, startling the Bats defense and scoring a run.

“That’s in our playbook,” Legg said. “Sitzman saw the infield back.”

In the sixth, Hitchcox and Juan Richardson had RBI hits for a 10-3 lead. And in the seventh, Byrd’s sacrifice fly gave him his SAL-leading 67th RBI.

“Everybody was swinging the bat great,” said Legg.

The top four hitters (Sitzman, Reyes, Byrd and Espy) combined for nine hits and each had one RBI. Padilla and Richardson each had two hits.

And the pitching? After coach Rod Nichols had a mound meeting with Brooks, the lefty began throwing like an all-star.

“He was being too fine with his pitches and got behind,” Nichols said. “The hitters made him pay the price.”

Brooks responded, however.

“We got those runs in the first and I’m like, ‘Hey, it’s a new ballgame’ and I just calmed down. My teammates picked me up. There will be times when I pick them up too.”

Brooks (8-4) allowed just one hit after the first, finishing with a 4-hitter. Ryan Brookman, who joined the team a few days earlier, threw the final two frames.

“Brooks gave us seven solid innings,” said Legg. “He could’ve gone another, maybe two. He bounced back great.”

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NOTES: Brooks finished with 10 strikeouts. ... Coming in, Piedmont had scored just six runs in its previous three games. ... The Bats (37-49) are in a dismal slump. Last night’s loss was the sixth in last seven games and 19th in the last 22. ... Byrd is among the leaders in every offensive stat. He also stole his 26th base. ... The Weevils have topped the 10-run mark 11 times this season. ... Knowles has allowed 111 hits in 87 innings. ... Richardson has played well since taking over at third base for Tom Batson, who was called up to Clearwater. ... Sitzman recorded his fifth triple and 10th double of the season. ... Ryan Madson (7-4, 2.75, 67 strikeouts) will pitch for Piedmont tonight against the Bats. Piedmont is also home Sunday at 2:05 p.m. and Monday at 7:05 p.m.