REX Score Seven in First, Beat Catfish 11-8

Recap Courtesy of the Cape Catfish:

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – If you didn't count the first inning, the Cape Catfish outscored the Terre Haute REX, the best offensive team in the Prospect League, 8-4.

But Terre Haute sent 11 batters to the plate in the the first and scored seven runs off Catfish starter Jordan Zuger (Belmont University) who lasted two-thirds of an inning, walking two and allowing six hits – including a three run homer to Robert Ciulla (Yale), his second of the season and league-leading 50th for the REX.

Cape answered with four runs in the second which began with the first two Catfish batters – Lane Crowden from Three Rivers Community College and Andrew Sharp from West Virginia State – reached base when they were hit by pitches thrown by REX starter Devin Ecklar (Bellarmine University). Catfish first baseman Jackson Jarvis from Columbia State Community College and designated hitter Cam Hill from Purdue then hit back-to-back doubles that drove in Cape's first three runs. Hill subsequently scored on an RBI ground out hit by center fielder Christopher Hall (Florida State College at Jacksonville).

The Catfish tied the game 7-7 in the third inning. Catfish shortstop John Bolton from the University of Arkansas, appearing in his second game for Cape, opened the inning with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Catfish third baseman Lane Crowden from Three Rivers singled to center. Crowden scored on Sharp's second double of the game which was followed by an RBI single to right by Jarvis that drove Sharp home.

REX regained the lead in their half of the third, scoring RBI singles hit by catcher Connor Hicks (Indiana State University) and second baseman Kade Lassen (Lincoln Trail Community College) to make the score 9-7 after three.

Both teams added single runs in the fifth inning to make the score 10-8 in Terre Haute's favor. Neither team scored again until the bottom of the eighth when REX left fielder Aaron Beck from Indiana State hit a two-out single to center and, with Beck running with the pitch, third baseman Kody Putnam (Jacksonville State) hit a bloop single to right field that drove Beck home. That run gave Terre Haute a three-run lead, 11-8.

The Catfish went down in order in the ninth inning, with Parks Bouck (North Central Texas College) striking out Jarvis and Hill for the first two outs and catching a first-pitch pop up hit by Khyle Radcliffe (John A. Logan College) to end the game and earn his first save of the season.

The loss dropped Cape's season record to 17-28 while Terre Haute improved to 32-16.

The Catfish return to action Monday when they take on the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau. Game time is 6:35 p.m.