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LHP Eric Surkamp threw a great game on the mound for the Cards tonight

Surkamp Flirts With No-Hitter

A 5-0 Cardinals win over Wareham is fifth shutout for the pitching staff this season

July 3, 2007

By: Brett Brecheisen - Orleans Cardinals Intern

Wareham, Massachusetts – The Cardinals snapped their two-game skid with a big inning and great pitching from yet another starting pitcher.  The 5-0 win over Wareham improves their record to 10-6 on the season.  Cardinals starter, LHP Eric Surkamp (NC State), took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and earned his first win of the season.

The Cards started a threat in the top of the fifth.  CF Ollie Linton (UC Irvine) led the inning off with a routine groundball.  A misplay at first by Wareham 1B Dustin Dickerson (Baylor) coupled with Linton’s terrific speed resulted in a Linton being safe on the error.  After two quick outs, 3B Mark Sobolewski (Miami, FL) successfully completed a hit-and-run by slapping the ball right into the hole at second with Linton running.  Linton wound up at third base on the play.  C Travis Tartamella (Pepperdine) was next at the dish and struck out looking, ending another Cardinals threat without any runs on the board.

After two consecutive innings of leaving runners on the bases, the Cardinals finally started bringing those runners in during the sixth. 2B Alden Carrithers (UCLA) led things off with his second double of the night.  LF Jon Gaston (Ariona) attempted a sacrifice bunt to move Carrithers to third, but an ill-advised throw to get Carrithers at third resulted in everyone being safe.  RF Dennis Raben (Miami, FL) walked to load the bases and two batters later, Linton lined a pitch into centerfield for his first hit on the Cape scoring the first two runs of the game.  SS Brandon Crawford (UCLA) followed with a single that scored Raben and sent Linton to third.  DH Jose Jimenez (Tampa) hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Linton and capped a four-run Cardinals inning.

“We had bases loaded and Ollie came up and had a full count pitch that he dumped into left-center field.  He made contact and kind of got us on the board and it just continued from there,” Manager Kelly Nicholson said.

“Ollie is really good defensively, he’s a great teammate and he’s a fan-favorite already.  He’s going to add a lot offensively too.  When he got on base, that first-basemen bobbled the ball because of his speed.  He’s going to add a lot.  He’s a real spark to this club and he’s a great kid,” Nicholson added on the new Orleans center-fielder.

LHP Eric Surkamp (NC State) threw an incredible game.  Following LHP Pat McAnaney (Syracuse)’s lead with a one-hit seven inning performance on Sunday, Surkamp had everything clicking tonight.  Surkamp did not walk a batter and did not even reach a three-ball count until the seventh inning.  The only Gatemen base-runner in the first seven innings came in the third when Wareham RF Luke Murton (Georgia Tech) reached on an error.

“It definitely helped that I was throwing my changeup. It let me work off that and get my fastball by people and luckily I was commanding all three pitches tonight so it worked out,” Surkamp said.

Surkamp carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning when C Josh Phegley (Indiana) blooped a ball down the left-field line that landed in between a trio of Cardinals.  Dickerson followed Phegley by placing a ball almost exactly in the same spot.  This time, however, Orleans’ Gaston over-ran the ball and it fell just behind him for another hit.  Surkamp exited the game with two-outs in the eighth having struck out ten batters, allowing two-hits, no runs and walking none.  He left with a 5-0 Cardinals lead.

The shutout for the Cardinals was their fifth of the season and continued to lower their ERA to a league-best 1.99.

“I think our pitching coach, Chris Beck, deserves a lot of credit.  He does a great job with those guys in the bullpen as far as giving them feedback and giving them a routine and conditioning them and it isn’t too much.  He’s got a good relationship with those guys down there and they really respond to what he believes in and his philosophy,” Nicholson said.

The Cardinals will look to continue their winning ways tomorrow night in a 4^th of July showdown against rival Chatham.  Orleans has lost both meetings with the Athletics this season but RHP Wynn Pelzer (S. Carolina) will look to change that.  The game is at 7:00pm and a large crowd is expected to be on hand.  Arrive early and support your Cardinals for the big game!

W – Eric Surkamp (NC State), 1-0

L – Kendal Volz (Baylor), 0-3

SV – None