ALTON - The Cape Catfish of Cape Girardeau, Mo. jumped out to a first inning 5-0 lead and never looked back in limiting the host Alton River Dragons to five hits in going on to a 7-1 Prospect League baseball win Wednesday evening at Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park.
The game was the first of a home-and-home series between the two clubs, along with the first of three meetings in the next five days. It's also the first of back-to-back home-and-home series for the River Dragons.
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The Catfish jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning, with the last four runs coming on a Jackson Jarvis grand slam homer. Alton got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-1, but Cape scored twice in the eighth to make the final 7-1.
Josh Johnson had two hits to lead the offense for Alton, while David Harris, Boston Merila and Nick Niebauer had the other hits in the game and Brady Mutz drove in the only run.
Parker Johnson was the starting pitcher for the River Dragons, but faced only four batters before coming out, allowing four runs on one hit while walking two, then gave way to Drew Patterson, who pitched four innings, allowing one run on five hits and struck out three. Jack McNeil pitched two-and-two-thirds innings, not allowing a run or hit while fanning three, with Geoff Withers of Civic Memorial pitching an inning-and-a-third, conceding two runs on four hits, walking two and striking out one and Zach Carden pitched the ninth inning, not allowing a hit or run while also fanning three.
The River Dragons fall to 18-23 and play the second game of the home-and-home tonight at Cape's Capaha Field. with the first pitch coming at 7:05 p.m. Alton then has their second straight home-and-home set on Friday and Saturday, meeting the O'Fallon, Mo., Hoots at CarShield Field Friday night at 6:35 p.m., then playing the return game at Lloyd Hopkins Field Saturday at 6:35 p.m. The Dragons and Catfish play again at Cape on Sunday night in a 7:05 p.m. first pitch, and after their regular Monday off, Alton host the Normal CornBelters next Tuesday at 6:35 p.m., then plays a doubleheader at the Quincy Gems at Quincy University Stadium, with the first game being the completion of s suspended game at 5 p.m., then the regularly scheduled game following at 6:35 p.m.
