RedWolves can't come up with big hits

By: By Sam Bundy | SCNOW
Published: June 07, 2009

FLORENCE — Every hit counts. But none more so than those with runners in scoring position.
On Saturday night, the Florence RedWolves left double digit men on base for the third straight game in an 8-2 Coastal Plain League loss to the Wilmington Sharks in front of 2,230 fans at Legion Field.
After starting the season 5-0, the RedWolves have lost their last three games. In those three losses, they’ve stranded 36 runners, including 10 against Wilmington.
“Offense is about timely hitting,” said Florence coach Wes Davis. “We’re swinging the bats OK. We’re just not doing it when we need to.
“Everybody in the lineup has to pull their own weight. There are nights where it’s the two hole, nights where it’s the five hole, nights where it’s the nine hole that are either going to win or lose a ballgame. Good clubs find a way to win. We’re a good team. We just need to keep getting better every day.”
In addition to a lack of clutch hitting last night, the RedWolves committed a season-high five errors.
That combination squandered a winnable outing by Florence starter Stephen McCray (1-1). McCray worked seven innings, gave up eight hits, five runs (three earned) walked three and struck out six.
McCray kept the RedWolves in it until the seventh when he surrendered a three-run homer to Adam Eggemeyer that gave Wilmington a 5-1 lead.
“Our pitching is giving us a chance every night,” said Davis, whose pitching staff entered last night’s game with a CPL-best 1.60 ERA. “Stephen threw a good ball game tonight. He wasn’t really, really sharp, but he battled for us and gave us a chance.”
A bright spot for Florence was Preston Shuey, who belted two solo homers. The first baseman out of Francis Marion entered the game batting just .111.
“Shuey is certainly a guy we’d like to see swing the bat like that and drive in a lot of runs for us,” Davis said. “His night tonight is a testament to hard work. He’s showing up to the park early and working hard to get through the slump he’s been in.“
Max Friedman (1-0) picked up the win. He worked six innings, gave up five hits, an earned run, walked none and struck out six.

RedWolves can't come up with big hits

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