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Ollie Linton reached base four times tonight as the Cardinals scored 11 runs

Cardinals Pound Harwich, Score 11 Runs

11-1 win over Harwich brings Orleans closer to the top of the Eastern Division

July 20, 2007

By: Brett Brecheisen - Orleans Cardinals Intern

Harwich, Massachusetts – The Cardinals had two days off earlier this week, their first two off days in over two weeks, and certainly came out of the time off refreshed.  Orleans crushed the Harwich Mariners tonight, 11-1, and has now won two in a row.

A phenomenal start by RHP Brad Boxberger (USC) set the tone for the Cards.  Boxberger, making his first start since July 6, tossed six innings allowing just three hits and one run.  The Trojan pitcher struck out six. He is now among the league leaders in ERA with a 1.38 earned run average.

The only run allowed by Boxberger came on a home run by 2B Johnny Giavotella (New Orleans) to lead-off the third inning.  The shot came with great effort from LF Nate Freiman (Duke) to keep the ball from going out.  Freiman ran all the way back to the fence in an attempt to chase the ball down and tried to time his jump to bring the ball back.  Freiman not only did not bring the ball back, but did not bring his body back either.  The 6’7” Freiman completely flipped over the fence and landed on the other side right next to the baseball.

Freiman’s flip certainly did not affect his performance at the plate, however.  The red-hot Cardinal from Wellesley, MA continued to dominate pitching on the Cape with two more hits, two more RBIs, and a run scored.  Freiman is now batting .424 in his last eight games with 11 runs batted in.

The Cardinals scored the most runs they have put on the board all season.  All but one of their 11 runs came in just three innings tonight as they scored three in the third, four in the seventh, and three more in the eighth inning.

Orleans also had 11 hits tonight.  Eight of the nine Cardinals in the starting lineup recorded base-hits.  CF Ollie Linton (UC Irvine) reached base four times after stroking two singles, walking once, and being hit by a pitch.

Linton, who has been hitting in the two-hole for the Cardinals most of the summer, hasn’t been the only Cardinal getting on-base consistently.  2B Alden Carrithers continued his success of reaching base and has now done so successfully in 17 straight games.  The lead-off man walked three times and also singled.

“Alden and I are the table-setters of this team.  We just need to continue to get on base and let the big guys drive us in.  That’s what we have been doing these last couple games,” Linton said.

The solid hitting by the two guys at the top of the Cardinals lineup is finally starting to filter through to the rest of it.   Tonight’s 3-6 hitters – RF Dennis Raben (Miami, FL), Freiman, 1B Jose Jimenez (Tampa), and DH Chase d’Arnaud – all drove in at least one run tonight and Jimenez drove in four.

3B Mark Sobolewski (Miami, FL) also jumped in on the hitting spree as he walked and drove in two runs with a base-hit in the seventh.

“Hitting is contagious and our guys did a good job tonight.  We did great with two outs, I think we had a lot of two out RBIs.  Chase d’Arnaud, Jose Jimenez, and Nate Freiman are all swinging the bat really well,” Manager Kelly Nicholson said.

With a tie between Chatham and Brewster tonight, the Cardinals now move into sole possession of third place in the Eastern Division and trail 2^nd place Chatham by just one point.  Orleans seems to be clicking at just the right time and hopes to carry the momentum into a playoff spot.

“We pitched well, didn’t make an error, and we put the ball in play offensively. When we do those three things we’re going to win a lot of ballgames and make a run,” Nicholson said.

Orleans (16-14-0) will continue that run tomorrow evening when they head to Falmouth to take on the hottest team on the Cape.  The Falmouth Commodores had won eight games in a row.  That streak was snapped tonight when they fell 8-7 to Hyannis.  The game will start at 5:30pm.  If you can’t make it out to Falmouth, listen to broadcasters Joel Godett and Andrew Gothelf as they deliver all of the exciting action tomorrow night.  Coverage begins approximately 15 minutes prior to the first pitch.

W – Brad Boxberger (USC), 1-0

L – Dan Hudson (Old Dominion), 2-3

SV – None