Bourque, Bach, bats break out brooms
NORWICH, CT - Friday morning, the Doubledays swept up, packed their things, and cleared out of the team hotel here in Norwich.
They kept on sweeping straight through Friday evening.
Four Doubledays combined for an RBI cycle, while James Bourque (1-0), Connor Bach, and Phillips Valdez combined for a five-hit shutout and Auburn topped Connecticut 4-0 for their first three-game sweep of the season. The victory marks the first three-game winning streak for the Doubledays since June 19-21.
The single in that RBI cycle started things off in the first. After a ground-rule double by Austin Davidson, Jose Marmolejos lined a two-out single up the middle against Chase Edwards (3-2) to get Auburn on top, 1-0.
The home run came next. After mashing one to left in last night's second inning, Dale Carey matched the feat, creaming a 2-0 meatball from Edwards over the left field wall and spotting the Doubledays a 2-0 lead. The triple followed in the sixth, as Matt Page lined one to the left-center field fence to score Cody Gunter. The double finished things off in the seventh; John Wooten picked up his first hit as a Doubleday, a two-bagger that one-hopped the wall in right and brought Davidson home from first.
Bourque, making his third start for Auburn since his call-up from the GCL, was sensational. He worked around two separate hitters on third base in the first inning, catching Rashad Brown in a rundown and stranding Ross Kivett by coaxing a weak grounder from the Tigers' top bat, Mike Gerber. He settled down and was marvelous over the rest of the outing, finishing with four hits allowed over five frames. He fanned one batter and did not walk any Tigers.
Connor Bach was perhaps even better in relief. Featuring electric stuff and improved control, Bach no-hit the Tigers in the crucial sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. Phillips Valdez came in for the ninth and, with a runner on second base, struck out Joey Pankake to finish off the sweep.
Auburn looks to continue its climb up the standings Saturday night in Aberdeen, as RHP Austen Williams (0-1, 7.36) makes his second Doubledays start against Ironbirds LHP John Means (0-0, 0.00).