Sox Finish Off Braves, Continue Hot Start
April 18, 2007 Braves 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 3 Red Sox 0 0 4 3 1 0 x 8 9 4 WP- Bostick (3-0) LP- Fossan (1-2) Waddell HS-----The Charlotte Red Sox improved to 5-0 Wednesday night with an 8-4 victory over the Braves at Waddell HS. The Braves jumped on top early scoring 3 runs in the first half inning before Red Sox pitchers shut them down the rest of the way. Sox starter Brett Bostick (3-0) hit the very first batter and after singles from the next 2 hitters, had allowed a run without recording an out with the RBI single by Scott Sprouse. An RBI groundout by Chris Hoshour was followed by an RBI single by Rick Russell before Bostick started a 1-6-3 double play to work out of the jam. Bostick settled in and didn't allow another hit on the night to give his team a chance to get back in the game. The Sox left 4 runners on base in their first 2 innings including leaving them full in the 2nd, but couldn't plate a run for their efforts. They broke through in the bottom of the 3rd though with 4 runs to take the lead and would never relinquish it again. With Braves starter Josh Fosan (1-2) struggling with control in the inning, the Sox utilized a keen eye at the plate and timely hitting to push across the tying and go ahead runs. Jon Herringdine, Shawn Gardner, and Mike Marconi each picked up an RBI in the inning The Red Sox tacked on 3 more runs the very next inning to give themselves a comfortable 7-1 margin after 4 innings of play. A double by J.D. Vidal led off the inning, followed by a Matt Rosner single. A 1-out walk to the cleanup hitter loaded the bases for Joe Maione who quickly emptied them again driving a 3-run triple over the centerfielders head and off the wall to chase the Braves lefty. The final run came in the 5th on 2 more singles with Marconi scoring on a steal of the third and an errant throw. The Braves would claw out one more run in the 5th with a leadoff error coming around to score in the inning. Bostick (3-0) picked up his third win in as many starts, going 4 innings on only the 3 hits. He allowed 3 earned runs while striking out 3 and still is yet to walk a batter this season. Newly acquired pitcher Jake Robbins picked up the 3 inning save allowing only a single and unearned run while striking out 5 batters. Maione's 3-run triple wasn't the only offense for the Sox as Dowd Maye (2-3, 2R, 2B, BB) and Rosner (2-3, R, 2B, BB) each had multi-hit nights. Herringdine, Gardner, and Marconi each added an RBI, with Marconi, Vidal, and Andrew Romberger tallying the remaining hits. Russell led the Braves with a 2-hit night, with Sprouse and D.J. Ferguson rounding out the hitting. The Red Sox are back in action Sunday with a key divisional match-up versus the defending AL champ Carolina A's in a primetime matchup at Waddell.
