Jays take doubleheader from Rays, finish sweep

 

BLUEFIELD - The Bluefield Blue Jays shutout the Princeton Rays twice on Sunday at Bowen Field to cap a three-game sweep of their county rival.

 

With the pair of wins, Bluefield improved to 24-12 on the season. Princeton dropped to 7-29.

 

In the first game of the evening, Jorge Saez put Bluefield on the board with an RBI-double to right field to bring in Dawel Lugo in the bottom of the second inning.

 

In the bottom of the third, Tim Locastro hit a fly ball over the left field wall for his first professional home run.

 

Saez earned another RBI when he brought in a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning.

 

Later in the inning, Matt Dean doubled over the head of the Princeton third baseman to bring in Lugo and extend the lead to 4-0. Derrick Loveless tripled to deep centerfield to bring Dean in to score.

 

Jesus Gonzalez capped off the four-run fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Loveless.

 

Jairo LaBourt (W, 2-1) pitched six shutout innings and allowed four hits and one walk while striking out six Rays. His season ERA dropped to 1.23.

 

Adaric Kelly pitched the final frame of the seven-inning game.

 

In the second game of the evening, two of solo home runs were enough to fuel the Jays to a 2-0 victory.

 

Dawel Lugo launched his fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning to open the scoring for the game.

 

D.J. Jones knocked his first home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning.

 

Alberto Tirado (W, 2-0) pitched five innings and allowed two hits while striking out four Princeton batters. His season ERA lowered to 1.32.

 

Yeyfry Del Rosario (H, 1) struck out the side in the sixth inning, his only frame in the game.

 

Brett Barber earned his fourth save with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh inning.

 

With the win, the Jays take an early 3-0 lead in the 2013 Battle for the Mercer Cup.

 

The Blue Jays will begin a three-game home series Monday night against the Danville Braves. Adonys Cardona (0-1, 6.11 ERA) will be on the mound for Bluefield. Yean Carlos Gil (0-1, 6.14 ERA) will be on the mound for the Braves.