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Well-rounded Catfish top Hoots for fifth straight win
The Cape Catfish were solid in all aspects of Thursday night’s 10-1 victory — their fifth straight — over the O’Fallon Hoots at Capaha Field.
Catfish pitcher Colten Weber threw another gem. The Jackson native struck out eight batters and allowed just four hits and an earned run - a solo home run to open the sixth - in 5 1/3 innings of work.
In addition to Weber’s success on the mound, the Catfish’s defense backed him up well.
“He comes out very confident in his stuff,” Catfish manager Steve Larkin said. “He’s aggressive out there. We had zero errors, and that happens when your guys go out there, throw strikes and let the defense play behind you.”
Weber is third on the team with 44 strikeouts this season.
Cape (36-19, 18-7 second half) recorded nine hits in Thursday’s win, led by Curtis Washington Jr.’s solid day at the plate. The future Purdue Boilermaker went 2-for-3, walked twice and crossed the plate three times.
“He’s a difference-maker,” Larkin said. “We’ve got a bunch of difference makers. Knowing him from a couple of years ago, he comes in with a big ole smile. He’s a big athlete who can play anywhere on the diamond and does anything you ask him to. He’s like another coach out there on the field, and he just goes out there and has fun.”
Catfish outfielder Giovanni Del Negro led the team with three RBIs in the game. Del Negro went 2-for-3 on the night.
Infielder Diego Johnson went 1-for-4 on the game with a two-run triple — his fifth of the season — in the eighth inning to pull ahead 10-1.
2019 Prospect League MVP Andrew Stone’s lone hit of the game was a two-run triple — his fourth of the year — in the seventh inning.
Catfish catcher Jackson Campbell exited the game ahead of the sixth inning and will be evaluated prior to Friday night’s game in Alton, Ill.
“We had a little heat problem with him right there,” Larkin said. “He got kind of woozy and I heard he got sick to his stomach. We got him out of there and got him some fluids. He’s going to go see our trainer tomorrow and we’ll see where he goes from there.”
With the Alton River Dragons (26-28) losing to the Danville Dans in extras, the Catfish took a 4 1/2 game lead in the West - Prairie Land Division for the second half of the season. Overall, Cape leads the division by seven games.
The Catfish — who are 9-1 in their last 10 games — hit the road Friday for a potential division-clinching showdown with the River Dragons before heading to O’Fallon, Ill., for a game against the Hoots (29-26) on Saturday. Both Cape and O’Fallon return to Capaha Field on Sunday for the teams’ final matchup of the year before the playoffs.