 April 26, 2002 - Jay Peden
Midland Reporter-Telegram
The 'Hounds rapped out 12 hits Thursday, including two big ones from Graham Koonce: a three-run home run in the third inning, and a two-run single in the eighth. The 'Hounds carried a three-game losing streak into the game, and they had totaled eight hits in those three games.
"It's good to see them break out finally," Midland manager Tony DeFrancesco said. "It's been a rough couple of days."
While the 'Hound hitters beat up the Travelers, Midland starting pitcher Marcus Jones (1-2) held the Travs down and earned his first victory of the season.
He lasted six innings, giving up only four hits and one walk while striking out five batters. The only run he allowed was unearned.
"Throwing strikes helps," Jones said. "I had some pretty good plays made behind me. And I threw the ball well. I had everything (working)."
Midland got on the board early. Kirk Asche tripled with one out in the second inning, and Josh Hochgesang promptly singled Asche home. Arkansas got the run back in the top of the third when Elpidio Guzman doubled -- the only extra-base hit Jones gave up -- then scored on Hochgesang's throwing error.
The 'Hounds gave Jones a nice cushion in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs. Rusty Keith, who got on base four times as Midland's leadoff man, led off the third with a walk. Mike Lockwood singled, and Koonce followed with a line drive that cleared the right field fence by plenty.
"I had two strikes on me, and I was just looking to the put the ball in play," Koonce said. "I managed to get the barrel on the ball. I was just trying to protect with two strikes."
Instead, the few fans milling about near the right field concession stand needed protecting.
The 'Hounds weren't through in the inning. Marshall McDougall doubled with one out and scored on Robinson Cancel's two-out single for a 5-1 lead.
For a team that hadn't been hitting, having two run-producing rallies in one inning was a good sign.
"I knew we were going to get out of this," DeFrancesco said of the team slump. "Since (the Oakland organization has) been in Midland, we've led the league in runs, and walks. It just hasn't happened yet (this year)."
"We've all been pressing," Koonce said. "Every time you go up there you're trying to make something happen. Then you get out of your normal routine.
"Once we got a few runs, we relaxed," Koonce said.
Midland got another run in the fourth. Keith led off with a double, and Lockwood sacrificed him to third. After Koonce reached on an error by third baseman Mike Christensen, Keith scored on Todd Mensik's fielder's choice grounder, giving Midland a 6-1 lead.
All those runs were scored on Arkansas starter Chris Bootcheck, who is the No. 3 prospect in the Anaheim organization, according to Baseball America magazine. Bootcheck (2-3) lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits.
Arkansas reliever Dusty Bergman got out of Bootcheck's jam in the fourth with one pitch, coaxing a grounder to shortstop. He stalled the RockHounds' offense with two more perfect innings, but the 'Hounds later got two more runs off Ben Grezlovski.
With two outs in the eighth, Keith singled and Lockwood walked. Both moved up a base on a wild pitch, then scored on Koonce's single.
Koonce's five-RBI night was greatly aided by the fact that Keith and Lockwood, the first two hitters in the lineup, were on base often. Combined, they went 4-for-7 with two walks.
Justin Lehr pitched the final three innings for the 'Hounds to earn his first save of the year. He gave up only two hits. One was a single, which Lehr followed by starting a double play. The other was a homer by Kevin Burns with one out in the ninth.
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