Brad Case retired the first 18 to face him on Saturday. ---
Brad Case retired the first 18 to face him on Saturday.
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LAKEWOOD, NJ - Brad Case retired the first 18 batters he faced and gave up just one hit over seven innings as Greensboro blanked the BlueClaws 7-0 on Saturday afternoon at FirstEnergy Park.
Case, who improved to 5-1, gave up a base hit to Jonathan Guzman leading off the seventh, Lakewood's lone hit off the Hoppers starter who retired 21 of the 22 batters he faced.
The win gives the Grasshoppers a 23-11 start to the year while the BlueClaws fall to 11-24.
Greensboro scored three times in the first inning off Kevin Gowdy (0-1). Jonah Davis doubled home Lolo Sanchez with the game's first run before a fielder's choice RBI groundout scored Davis. Mason Martin, who walked, scored on a wild pitch.
Gowdy was charged with three runs in 1/3 of an inning.
James McArthur allowed two runs in his 3.2 innings of work. Martin hit a second-inning SAC fly and added an RBI single in the fourth.
Manuel Silva gave up two runs, one earned, in the seventh inning.
Lakewood got their two runs in the ninth on a two-run home run by Cole Stobbe, his 2nd of the season. The home run snapped a stretch of 25 straight scoreless innings for the BlueClaws offensively.
Oscar Marcelino threw two scoreless innings in relief for the BlueClaws.
Lolo Sanchez went 3-4 with two runs for the Grasshoppers and Mason Martin had two hits and three RBIs in the win.
The teams continue their series on Sunday at 1:05 pm. LHP Ethan Lindow (1-1) starts for Lakewood opposite RHP Nicholas Economos (4-1).
- BlueClaws -
