Salas sparkles as Griffons blank Outlaws
Nevada Daily Mail
Nevada Griffons starting pitcher Jaraad Salas shut down the Joplin Outlaws, Monday night at Lyons Stadium.
With the victory, Nevada improves to 23-15 in MINK League play.
Salas was in complete control, tossing eight scoreless innings. Salas scattered seven hits, while striking out five and walking two as he improved to 3-0 ---- while lowering his earned run average to 2.23.
With the game still scoreless in the bottom of the third inning, Griffons shortstop Jacob Bryant belted a leadoff double into deep right field. A Cody Roose sacrifice bunt advanced Bryant to third. Seth Sims followed with an RBI ground out to third base, scoring Bryant as the Griffons jumped in front 1-0.
Nevada third baseman Kurt Becker led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo blast to right-center field, as the ball banged off the scoreboard, giving the Griffons a 2-0 lead.
Roose led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a long single off the top of the left field wall, advancing to second on an Outlaws throwing error. A Sims grounder to first base moved Roose over 90 feet on the base paths ---- while a Tyler Bodenstab ground out to second base plated Roose to hand Nevada a 3-0 cushion. The RBI was Bodenstab's 13th of the season.
Nevada closer Shea Nixon pitched a perfect ninth inning en route to picking up his second save of the season. Nixon's ERA is a miniscule 1.31.
Farrell honored
After mashing opposing pitching, Griffons slugger Cody Farrell was named the MINK League player of the week. For the week, Farrell hit a blistering .485 (17-for-35).