Roche Woodard Continues Hot Streak in 6-3 Stockade Win
Some may not think that 13 is very lucky, but the Salina Stockade will take it earning their 13th victory of the season Tuesday night thanks to Roche Woodard. The Stockade centerfielder scored 2-runs and added an RBI in the 6-3 win over the Texas AirHogs. Kewby Meyer also drove in 2, and Brian Smith struck out a season-high 10 in winning his second game of the year.
Salina took the lead in the top of the first against Byron Waltrip. Roche Woodard singled up the middle to start the game, then stole second, his 12th of the year. An error allowed Fernando Garza to reach and Woodard to move into third, and he came home on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. Meyer followed with a base hit to left that scored Garza to extend the lead to two.
In the third, the Stockade took a commanding lead. Matt Haskins walked to begin the frame. He stole second and scored when Woodard drilled his fourth triple of the season to the wall in center. Jordan Caillouet followed by hitting a 2-0 pitch for a base hit to extend the lead to four. Caillouet stole second and scored when Garza singled into left field. After a walk to Meyer, Jimmy Heck doubled down the line to bring home Garza to make it 6-0.
Brian Smith (2-10) came out of the gate on fire. He retired the minimum through the first three-innings with the only base runner reaching on a walk and he was erased on a double-play. He was enjoying the early lead, but the AirHogs would get two runs against him in the fourth. Alvaro Rondon started the inning with a single, but was erased on the base path when Casio Grider hit into a fielder’s choice. Two batters later, Charley Thurber walked and both runners moved up on a double steal. That brought Levi Scott to the plate, who singled up the middle to score both runners, cutting the deficit to four.
The runs seemed to have kick-started Smith, who struck out the final batter of the fourth to end the threat. He had just two strikeouts through his first three frames of work, however, he would strike out two in each of his final four innings to finish with 10 on the game, a season-high.
The AirHogs would get one more run off the left-hander in the seventh. Scott tripled with one down and scored on a ground out to make it 6-3. That would be the final. Smith went 7-innings, allowing 5-hits, 2-walks and 3-earned runs.
Roche Woodard finished 2-4 with 2-runs and an RBI. He also stole 2-bases. The Stockade centerfielder is 12-29 over his last 8-games. Kewby Meyer also had 2-hits and drove in 2. Fernando Garza scored 2-runs. Levi Scott was 2-4 for Texas with a run and 2-RBI.
By Robert Pannier