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Kelly Nicholson's team could not take the lead before the fog took over

Fog Forces Tie After Seven

Severe fog forced tonight's game to end after just seven innings with a tied score

July 31, 2007

By: Brett Brecheisen - Orleans Cardinals Intern

Orleans, Massachusetts – There’s a sports cliché that says finishing a game in a tie is like kissing your sister.  While Manager Kelly Nicholson wouldn’t go as far as saying his team’s 1-1 tie to Harwich tonight was that bad (he doesn’t have a sister), it didn’t appear that anyone was overly thrilled with the draw.

The game was delayed for 45 minutes with two outs in the top of the seventh due to fog.  After the delay ended and Orleans picked up the final out in the top half of the inning, LF Chase d’Arnaud (Pepperdine) hit a high fly ball to center-field.  Harwich CF Jared Bolden (VCU) had no idea where the ball was in the fog.  He finally found the ball as it was half-way down to the ground and fell backwards making a spectacular catch.  After the inning finished, the umpires had determined that the conditions were unsafe for play and called the game with the score tied 1-1.

“It was just too foggy to play.  The guys couldn’t see the ball when it was up in the air.  It was the right decision,” Coach Nicholson said about the game being called.

The fog-shortened game dampened a spectacular pitching performance by RHP Clayton Shunick (NC State).  The right-hander pitched 6.2 innings before the fog delay and only allowed three hits while striking out six and not walking a batter.  The lone run allowed by Shunick came in the fourth when LF Kyle Day (Michigan State) hit a pitch well over the right-field fence.

“He was outstanding.  That’s the Clayton Shunick we know.  I’m really proud of the way he threw the ball tonight.  He pitched like that all of last summer and hopefully he’s going to get one more start.  He was really good tonight,” Nicholson said.

Trailing 1-0 with the fog quickly coming into Eldredge Park, Orleans tried to do whatever they could to pick up a run or two before the game became official.  D’Arnaud began the fifth inning with a double to right-center and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  That’s when C Travis Tartamella (Pepperdine) hit a weak fly ball to center.  Knowing the Cards needed a run, third base Coach Robb Gorr sent d’Arnaud to the plate and he scored easily on a poor throw to tie the game.

It was a good thing the Cardinals scored when they did because Harwich RHP Brett Jacobson (Vanderbilt) was extremely impressive on the hill.  Jacobson did not return to the mound after the fog delay but struck out 15 Cardinals in just six innings of work and allowed only one run.

“He’s good.  He throws the ball hard and has a good breaking ball.  He did a good job,” Nicholson said about the Vanderbilt pitcher who shut the Cardinals down for the second time this season.

With the fog becoming a bigger problem with each passing inning, Shunick tried to gain every advantage he could.

“I heard from our hitters that off-speed was really tough to pick up once the fog started coming in so I used that to my advantage.  I said if our hitters can’t see it then theirs probably can’t either,” he said.

The wonderful start by the Wolfpack righty was reminiscent of some of the performances he had in the summer of 2006 with Orleans.  According to Shunick, it’s not just a coincidence.

“I’ve been working a little bit with my arm angle.  I saw a picture a couple weeks ago of when I was up here last summer and noticed that my arm angle was a lot higher than it was at NC State.  I was very successful up here last summer and didn’t pitch as well as I would have liked at school this spring so I really just tried to get back to where my arm angle was last summer,” Shunick said.

The tie gives the Cardinals their first point in over six days.  The stretch has put the Cardinals with their back to the wall in an attempt to make the playoffs.  They now trail Chatham by six points in the standings but the A’s still have two extra games to play since they were fogged out the past two nights.

Orleans is off the next two days and will return to action on Friday night for their final meeting with the Brewster Whitecaps.  The contest will take place at Eldredge Park and begin at 7:00pm.  As always, admission to Orleans Cardinals games are free so come out and support the Cards before the season ends!