Sharks Split Doubleheader, Sign New Pitcher

The Riversharks split a day/night doubleheader with the Long Island Ducks today, losing game one 7-2 and winning the nightcap 9-3.

The Ducks jumped all over J.R. Mathes early in game one, before the Sharks could even record an out. First Javier Colina blasted a three-run homer. Then a Matt Esquivel double score Lew Ford to make it 4-0.

Manager Von Hayes finally pulled Mathes for reliever Santos Hernandez, but the Ducks tacked on one more in the inning when Dan Lyons grounded into a fielder's choice that scored J.R. House. The inning finally ended when Hernandez got Kraig Binick to ground out to second for out number three.

The Ducks added one more in the second when Colina homered again to make it 6-0.

Camden finally got on the board in the sixth when Ruddy Yan's sac fly scored Juan Francia, but leading off the bottom of the frame, Ducks shortstop Dan Lyons homered to make it 7-1.

The Sharks one-out rally in the bottom of the ninth started when a Jake Eigsti double scored Jonel Pacheco to make it 7-2, but Ducks reliever Bubby Buzachero retired the next two batters in order.

Javier Colina finished game one going 3 for 5 with two home runs and four RBI. Ducks Starter Bob Zimmerman pitched 7 innings of five hit ball, allowing one earned run while striking out seven.

Game two saw the Sharks offense explode in a 9-3 victory. Both Danny Richar and Jonel Pacheco drove in 3 runs apiece, and starter Wilkin De La Rosa pitched effectively for 6 innings, surrendering three runs on eight hits while striking out four.

Pacheco finished the game going 3 for 5 with a home run. The Riversharks beat up Ducks pitchers for a total of 17 hits.

The bullpen combo of Mumba Rivera, Fernando Hernandez and John Bale pitched well in relief of De La Rosa, not allowing a run and only giving up 2 hits.

Koplove To The Inactive List, Former Rev Cline Signed And Activated

Sharks reliever Mike Koplove has been placed on the inactive list. In 45 games this season, Koplove was 3 and 2 with a 3.33 ERA.

Former Revs pitcher Zac Cline has been added to the Sharks roster. Cline was 0 and 2 with the Revolution this year with a 7.62 ERA. Cline figured into game one of today's doubleheader, in 2 1/3 innings he allowed a run on three hits while striking out two.

Brian Burgamy Is Kind Of A Big Deal. People Know Him.

Brian Burgamy's 2 out, 2 run double in the bottom of the sixth was the difference tonight, as the Riversharks beat the York Revolution 2-1 at Campbell's Field. Burgamy went 2 for 2 at the plate, and earlier in the sixth made a spectacular sliding catch to rob Jose Herrera of a base hit.

A hot streak from Burgamy is long overdue, he's been struggling at the plate for most of the season. It also couldn't come at a better time for the Sharks, who are only a few games behind the Bridgeport Bluefish for the Liberty Division lead.

Starter Humberto Sanchez 1 hit the Revs over six innings while striking out three. He's got some control issues (as does any pitcher still on an Indy League roster in September, says Adam) but he got the job done. Also, he's kind of built like this guy. He's all shoulders and torso, which make his legs look skinny by comparison. The program has him at 6'6" and 230lbs, but I don't buy it. EDIT: I forgot to mention, he's got an absolutely filthy changeup.

Anyway he pitched effectively, and then Von left it to the bullpen. Sean Jarrett breezed through an inning in relief, allowing no hits and only one baserunner, thanks to a fielding error by shortstop Juan Francia.

Then it was Mike Koplove's turn. He let the first two Revs reach, but thanks to a heads up play by third baseman Danny Richar and an inning ending 4-6-3 double play, the Sharks managed to preserve the 2-0 lead.

John Bale came on in the 9th to try for his 4th save. After getting Herrera to fly out to center, he gave up a double to first baseman Chris Nowak. Left fielder James Shanks hit a ball to the left in the infield, and Bale, trying to get the lead runner, threw wide of second base. Everybody was safe. The Revs scored when second baseman Bryant Nelson hit into a fielder's choice that plated Nowak. The inning and the game ended one batter later, when Bale got Vince Harrison to ground out to short.

Mathes, At First Unhittable, Quickly Becomes Very, VERY Hittable

Early on, J.R. Mathes was cruising. He retired the Bluefish lineup in order through the first three innings, and looked to be well on his way to his 6th win of the 2011 season.


But in the top of the 4th, Mathes suddenly found himself unable to get ANYONE out. The Bluefish batted around, eventually scoring 7 runs on 8 hits before Von Hayes made the call to the bullpen, bringing on reliever Mumba Rivera to close out the inning.

Bridgeport made it 8-0 in the fifth when left fielder Steve Moss blasted his 15th home run of the season over the centerfield wall.


The Sharks only offense came in the bottom of the 7th when centerfielder Jonel Pacheco hit a 3 run shot that also scored Shea Harris and Danny Richar.

The Bluefish added one more in the 8th when first baseman Wes Bankston's double scored Felix Molina, making it 9-3.

OMG, GI(4)DP WTF? FML...

Starter Wilkin De La Rosa battled control issues, and the Riversharks just couldn't plate enough runs to overcome the Lancaster Barnstormers early onslaught. The Stormers piled on the runs early and held on to beat the Sharks 7-5.

Lancaster batted around in the 2nd, but tallied just three hits, in what was really a nightmare inning for De La Rosa. A combination of walks, errors and timely hits, including a bases clearing RBI double from Lancaster first baseman Tommy Everidge eventually plated six runs for the Stormers.

The Sharks got one run back in the bottom of the frame when designated hitter Alvin Colina absolutely CRUSHED a J.D. Durbin fastball over the left field wall.

Camden cut the deficit to 6-4 in the 3rd, but caught a really bad break in the process. With the bases loaded and no outs, first baseman Willis Otanez grounded into a 4-6-3 double play that scored shortstop Juan Francia. Next, Colina singled in Lloyd Turner, and finally a Danny Richar triple scored Colina. The inning ended when left fielder Brian Burgamy struck out swinging.

In the 4th, Wayne Lydon scored on a double from left fielder M Watson to make it 7-4, and the Sharks added one more in the 9th to again cut the deficit to 2, but Otanez grounded into another 4-6-3 double play, and two batters later Richar lined one right to shortstop Iggy Suarez to end the game.


The Sharks outhit the Stormers 17-7, yet they scored only 5 runs. Part of the problem was Otanez grounding into THREE rally killing double plays (combined the Sharks grounded into four. FOUR. IN ONE NIGHT), and Burgamy narrowly avoiding the titanium sombrero, going 0 for 3 with three K's.

If you want to look for a silver lining in all of this, look no further than the Sharks bullpen. In four innings of relief, the combination of Zach Hammes, Fernando Hernandez and Mike Koplove allowed just two hits and no runs, while striking out five.

Also Colina, who apparently was so thrilled he didn't have to squat for 3 hours he went 4 for 5 with a homer and two RBI's.