He's quite E-fish-ent: The Baffler three-hits Mudcats
- June 18, 2009
By Neil Tarpey
Staff Writer
ARCATA -- They went back to the dugout looking baffled, shaking their heads.
The Solano Mudcats couldn't figure out Humboldt Crabs left-hander Greg Fisher in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Fisher, who pitched at Arcata High School, College of the Redwoods, and Cal State East Bay, tossed a complete-game three-hitter in the Crab's 7-0 victory.
”Fish started where he left off last year,” said Crabs manager Matt Nutter, referring to Fisher's 5-0 mark for the 2008 Crabs. “I'm going to call him the Baffler because they couldn't figure him out.”
The southpaw featured nasty change-ups that Mets lefty Johan Santana would have envied, mixed in with curves and cut fastballs. Fisher struck out the side in the top of the first and finished with six Ks.
He scattered singles in three different innings, and picked one of those hitters off first. His only walk came with two outs in the Mudcats final at-bats.
”It felt good to be out here, to be with the Crabs for my third year,” said Fisher.
The Crabs also took the nightcap, 3-2, as Tommy Pavesi knocked in Brad Morgan with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. Tom Whitsett pitched six innings, allowing just one earned run, for his second win as Humboldt improved to 8-2 on the season.
In the first game, Fisher's battery-mate J.J. Ethel provided the early offense, driving in Pavesi -- who doubled and singled -- in both the second and fourth innings.
In that fourth inning, Humboldt touched Solano starter Chad Chatfield for four runs on four hits, a walk, a hit batsman and a wild pitch. Nick Hom and Brandon Hays each had a RBI in that inning.
Then in the fifth, Logan Lotti's long double off the 338-foot sign in right-center scored Nick Melino, who lead off with a walk, all the way from first. Kevin Silvett's second base hit, a single to center, knocked in Lotti.
Humboldt's Michael Reiling launched a shot to left in the sixth that looked like it might leave the yard, but the ball hit high off the screen above the 307-foot sign and bounced back as Reiling hustled for a double.
Chatfield went the distance, allowing 10 hits and striking out three.
On Friday at 7 p.m. the Crabs play a single game against the San Jose Seals to open their four-game series, while the Mudcats will play the Humboldt Steelheads in a single game tonight at 7 p.m.