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Gonzalez fantastic for Voyagers

White Sox prospect homers twice, drives in pro-best eight runs
Romy Gonzalez hit four homers as a junior at the University of Miami. (Tianna Rae PhotographyTianna Stevens/Great Falls Voyagers)
August 22, 2018

Romy Gonzalez can't remember ever having a night like Tuesday's game.After hitting just four homers in 198 at-bats as a junior at The University of Miami, Gonzalez belted half that many in six at-bats while driving in a career-high eight runs to lead Rookie-level Great Falls to a 14-5 win

Romy Gonzalez can't remember ever having a night like Tuesday's game.
After hitting just four homers in 198 at-bats as a junior at The University of Miami, Gonzalez belted half that many in six at-bats while driving in a career-high eight runs to lead Rookie-level Great Falls to a 14-5 win over Ogden at Lindquist Field.
"I haven't had a game like this, I mean, probably in high school, but not in college," he said. "I had a couple of games with multiple home runs, but yeah, nothing like this."

Gameday box score
The 18th-round pick of the White Sox in June signed for $125,000. Gonzalez led the Hurricanes with 11 homers last season, before the power number dwindled in his final collegiate season.
"I think I was trying to do way too much. I was hurt much of the year and I think I got a little antsy with the Draft coming up," the Miami native said.
Gonzalez has seven long balls in his first pro season and his massive RBI total gave him 27 in 153 at-bats. Drafted as an infielder, he's served as designated hitter for most of the season and played the outfield for the past four games.
Scouts say the 21-year-old is an aggressive batter who sometimes goes out of the zone to chase pitches. To that end, he struck out leading off the game for the Voyagers. He's fanned 49 times.
"This game is so difficult, obviously, I want to hit for average and also hit for power," he said. "I am just trying to work on cutting down on strikeouts. I have to work on not letting my swing get too big."
He grounded out in the third, but then things turned around in a big way.
With a 2-1 lead, Great Falls loaded the bases on singles by Gunnar Troutwine and Micah Coffey and a two-out walk to Travis Moniot. That brought up the right-handed hitter, who promptly clubbed a ball over the wall in right-center field off reliever Justin Hagenman.
"Oh definitely," Gonzalez said when asked whether he was looking for a pitch to drive on the grand slam. "The pitcher has nowhere to put me, so when he threw something down the middle, I just put a good swing on it."

In the sixth, the 21-year-old lined a double to left, but was left stranded. He delivered again in the Voyagers' four-run seventh. Again batting with the bases loaded, Gonzalez laced a single to left that plated Coffey.
With the Voyagers up in the ninth, 10-4, Gonzalez followed singles by Maiker Feliz and Moniot with a dinger over the wall in left-center.
"I'm definitely a power hitter," he said. "I just need to be more consistent. There are definitely nights when you see the ball better and you take a big swing, but that's when you're trying too hard to hit home runs. That's why I've struggled [10-for-47] lately. Tonight, I just wanted to put the ball in play."
Lane Ramsey (3-2) allowed three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings in relief of starter Codi Heuer. Caleb Sampen (0-2) was pinned with the loss after giving up two runs on three hits in three innings.
Dodgers No. 22 prospectRonny Brito homered for Ogden.
Troutwine singled three times, scored three runs and drove one in while Moniot added three runs and two RBIs.
But Gonzalez did Tuesday's heavy lifting. He credited at Miami and coach Jim Morris for his smooth transition to pro ball.
"At least at this level, it's not too big of a jump," he said. "Most guys in the conference I played in were very talented. And [Morris] was an incredible mind when it comes to the game of baseball. I learned so much from him. I'm kind of at a loss for words when it comes to Jim Morris."

Vince Lara-Cinisomo is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincelara.