Another gut punch
- Updated: June 17, 2022
Atlanta Crackers score eight runs in final two innings, deny Monsters chance to win a game at home
Friday’s SBL Games
Atlanta Crackers 12, Choccolocco 6
Alpharetta at Gwinnett, ppd., rain
Columbus 7, Waleska 3
Gainesville 5, Atlanta Blues 4
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – The shells were bursting behind the outfield wall in a brilliant array of colored sparks and the explosions that broke them open were deafening, but it all seemed so muted to the Choccolocco Monsters who stuck around to watch the show.
WVOK-FM (97.9)
For the longest time Friday night, the Monsters looked every bit like the team that was going to win at home for the first time in their history. They carried a two-run lead into the eighth inning and sent their best reliever to the mound to close it out, but they imploded in the final two innings and suffered another bitter late-game defeat.
The Atlanta Crackers didn’t wait until after the game for the fireworks. They erupted for eight runs in the eighth and ninth innings – all off closer Daniel Swatek – to beat the Monsters 12-6, spoiling the home team’s Fireworks Night and denying them the chance to get their first win at home in franchise history.
It was the second game in a row the Monsters (3-6) lost in the final two innings. They lost at Alpharetta Wednesday night in a game they took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
“We are a little bit snake-bit, but we put ourselves in a position to be,” Monsters manager Steve Gillispie said. “Different moments of the game we have an opportunity to stretch the lead or shut them down and we’re (making mistakes).
“It was just a challenge in the locker room to evaluate the way we played. It seemed like we got focused on some things that really don’t have a lot to do with the outcome of the ballgame. It’s a challenge to change how we are preparing to play and how we’re going about playing the game inning-one to inning-nine.”
Curiously, the Crackers (6-4) did all their late damage against the Monsters’ best reliever. Swatek had not allowed an earned run and only one hit with a win and two saves in his first four appearances of the season. But the Crackers touched him for eight runs (seven earned) and seven hits in the one official inning he was credited, raising his ERA from 0.00 to 8.59. They also had the benefit of a walk, a hit batsman and three costly errors in the eruption.
The Monsters took a 6-4 lead into the eighth. The Crackers put runners at second and third with one out when Colson Lawrence hit a fly to right that looked like a sacrifice fly for the second out of the inning. Right fielder Dawson Winningham dropped the ball to bring a run home. Cam Suto raced home on a wild pitch to tie it and Brody Parkerson singled up the middle of drawn-in infield to give the Crackers the lead.
It was just as bad in the ninth. The first six hitters reached base. Scott Campbell’s bases-loaded single drove home the inning’s first run and left the bases loaded. Monsters third baseman Dom Scavone threw wildly to the plate on Suto’s grounder scoring two and Lawrence followed with a two-run single to make it 12-6.
“I went out there and I felt good and I felt like I was battling the whole time, but sometimes when it rains it pours,” Swatek said. “I was getting my breaking ball over a little bit more front door and leaving it up. Usually when I’ve been really sharp with it, starting it as a strike and getting it off the plate and really effective, I wasn’t doing that.
“I felt like my fastball was where it needed to be but you can’t work ahead if you can’t get that slider over. It’s tough to get away with just the fastball.”
Swatek usually enters the game after a set-up inning from Harris Burns, and while Gillispie was getting Burns ready for the eighth, he turned it over to his closer for a potential six-out save. Burns came in for Swatek in the ninth and got the three outs in order.
“Obviously, I thought Swatty would be the guy,” Gillispie said. “Give him a two-run lead, a little cushion, a little leeway there to come in if he wasn’t super sharp. He’s always thrown the breaking ball for a strike and he just wasn’t as sharp with that tonight. But that’s a teachable moment and a challenge to him to be better (next time).”
Swatek said he felt “well prepared and fresh enough” to give the Monsters however many outs they need and is looking forward to being called and delivering in a similar situation in the future.
Swatek’s showing came after Austin Goode put together his best outing of the year. The former Alexandria right-hander struggled to find the plate early in the season, but Friday he pitched two shutout innings, giving up three hits, no walks and striking out four.
“It was an example that I used when I was just talking to the team,” Gillispie said. “Whatever you’ve done in the past you’re learning from that and adjusting and trying to make corrections. He was a guy who made that correction. He was no good early in the year, maybe a little better the last time, but tonight was really good.”
The Monsters came from behind twice to take leads. They gave up three unearned runs in the first, but got them all back in the bottom of the inning, then fell behind 4-3 but scored twice in the fourth to take the lead.
They loaded the bases in the fourth. Tanner Martin came within a few feet of hitting the first homer in Monsters history – it would have been a grand slam – but it slammed off the left field fence for a long single and tied the game 4-4. It was Martin’s first hit of the season.
Josh Cooper, inserted after shortstop Brandon Prince got tossed for questioning a third strike, followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Monsters ahead 5-4. They added another run in the sixth when Jake Spivey scored on a balk after Sean Smith doubled him to third.
MONSTERS MASH: The Monsters tied their season high for hits (10). Tyler Waugh went 3-for-4 and Spivey had two hits … Prince and Martin both got tossed by the home plate ump for questioning a third strike. They’ll be able to return Saturday … Monsters broke out their new home pinstripe whites for the game. They have ‘Monsters’ in black with gold trim across the front and similar numbers on the back … The 14 top position player prospects and several pitchers as selected by the SBL front office will be announced Sunday for next week’s Alliance Showcase in Lynchburg, Va. Gillispie nominated three from his team: Prince, Swatek and William Kelley. One league player sure to go is Atlanta Blues 2B Termarr Johnson, a recent Mays HS grad and projected top 10 overall pick. He may be gone by the time the Blues play in The Big House July 22-23 … The Showcase is separate from the SBL All-Star Game at Choccolocco Park July 17 – the first day of the MLB Draft … Brock Hill is expected to draw the Monsters’ start Saturday.
Atl. Crackers 301 000 035 – 12 16 3
Choccolocco 300 201 000 – 6 10 5
WP: Ryan Suppa (4-0). LP: Daniel Swatek (1-1). 2B: Cam Suto (AC), C Smith (AC), Dawson Winningham (C), Sean Smith (C). HR: Colson Lawrence (AC).
Sunbelt Baseball League standings
| EAST DIVISION | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| Waleska Wild Things | 5 | 2 | .714 | 0.5 |
| Gainesville GolDiggers | 7 | 3 | .700 | — |
| Alpharetta Aviators | 3 | 7 | .300 | 4 |
| CENTRAL DIVISION | ||||
| Atlanta Crackers | 6 | 4 | .600 | — |
| Brookhaven Bucks | 4 | 4 | .500 | 1 |
| Atlanta Blues | 5 | 6 | .455 | 1.5 |
| WEST DIVISION | ||||
| Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots | 5 | 4 | .556 | — |
| Gwinnett Astros | 3 | 5 | .375 | 1.5 |
| Choccolocco Monsters | 3 | 6 | .333 | 2 |
Saturday’s Games
Atlanta Crackers at Choccolocco, 6:05 p.m.
Brookhaven at Alpharetta, 6:05 p.m.
Gainesville at Atlanta Blues, 6:05 p.m.
Waleska at Columbus, 6:05 p.m.
Monday’s Games
Alpharetta at Brookhaven, 5:35 p.m.
Choccolocco at Gwinnett, 6:05 p.m.
Columbus at Atlanta Blues, 6:05 p.m.
Gainesville at Waleska, 6:05 p.m.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login