'Wolves get second straight win against SwampDogs

FLORENCE — When Steve Grife was unable to start Thursday night’s meeting with rival Fayetteville, Florence coach Wes Davis had a decision to make on whom to run out to the mound.

So the first-year skipper made an unlikely choice, sending native Barrett Kleinknecht to face the SwampDogs.

It turned out to be a wise decision. On a hot and humid night at Legion Field, Kleinknecht one-hit Fayetteville in five innings as the RedWolves got their second win over the SwampDogs in three days, 6-3.

“When players execute well, coaches look smart,” Davis said. “The players have done a great job making me look smart so far this season.”

Kleinknecht (1-0) allowed two runs, both earned, on one hit to earn his first win in his first appearance on the mound as a RedWolf. He fanned six batters, walked one batter and hit a batter.

“The most important thing that Barrett did well tonight was stay ahead in the count,” Davis said. “His slider was tremendous tonight.”

Just as they did Monday night, the RedWolves (4-1) looked to get some early runs against the SwampDogs. After Tyler Walker drove home Andrew Guerra with a double to left, he looked to score on Myckie Lugbauer’s single to right. But Kevin Hussey’s throw to the play was in time to get Walker.

If Fayetteville’s Chris Patterson thought he was out of the inning, however, he was mistaken. A Patterson throwing error followed by a wild pitch moved Lugbauer to third before Jared Barkdoll grounded to third for what was supposed to be an inning-ending out.

Jason King’s throw to first pulled Kevin McKague off the bag, though, allowing Lugbauer to cross the plate. The second Fayetteville error of the inning increased Florence’s lead to 2-0 entering the second inning.

Patterson ran into more trouble in the second. After walking Keegan Morrow, he balked Morrow to second. Jamie Walczak made Patterson pay for his miscue by singling home Morrow for a 3-0 Florence advantage.

Walker went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI to lead the RedWolves. Seth Kivett went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.

Fayetteville (6-2) cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the fourth on a Kleinknecht wild pitch, but the RedWolves chased Patterson from the game in the next frame. Lugbauer lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Walczak to give Florence a 4-1 lead and send Patterson to the dugout.

Patterson (0-1) allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits in 3 2/3 innings en route to the loss for Fayetteville. The right-hander struck out two batters, walked three and hit another.

Every time the SwampDogs got a run off Kleinknecht, the RedWolves got it back for him. After Hunter Nolen drove in a run on a groundout to slice the deficit to 4-2, Morrow laced an RBI single to bump his team’s lead back to three runs at 5-2.

But that was as close as the SwampDogs got to catching the RedWolves. Dillon native L.A. Owens allowed one run in three innings out of the bullpen. Tio McLean pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many chances.

“It feels good (to beat Fayetteville twice), but I know it’s early,” Davis said. “We’re going to take it one game at a time. We’ve got Wilson (tonight), and we’re not looking anywhere but that.”