Daniel Norris is slated to pitch for Bluefield in tonight's game. Norris, a native of nearby Johnson City, Tenn., was selected in the second round of the 2011 draft by Toronto after completing an outstanding prep career at Science Hill High School. Norris, the 74th overall pick in last year's draft, enters Friday with a 1-1 record and a 4.50 ERA. He gave up four earned runs on four hits in his most recent outing, at home against-ironically enough-the Johnson City Cardinals. Norris worked four spotless innings prior to that, on the league's opening night against the Bristol Sox.
First pitch tonight is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hunter Wright Stadium. Christian Montgomery (0-0, 5.79 ERA) is slated to start for the K-Mets.
If Kingsport can replicate the pitching performance it got in Thursday's game against Bluefield, the K-Mets have a good shot at putting together their first winning streak of the Appalachian League season-no matter whom toes the rubber for the other team. Starter John Gant carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and Shane Bay finished up with two frames of very impressive work out of the bullpen to tally his first professional save.
Gant walked three men in the first five innings but still did a good job working his way out of trouble by pitching to contact. He needed just six pitches to retire the side in the first inning and only five throws to sit down the Jays in the fourth. Meanwhile, Kingsport took a 2-0 lead when Gavin Cecchini singled home Eris Peguero in the third inning, and Bradley Marquez raced home on a passed ball two innings later.
Bluefield broke through in the sixth, however, accounting for all of its offense-three runs on four hits-in that frame. Shortstop Dickie Joe Thon led off the inning by taking Gant's fourth pitch over the wall in left for a home run, immediately spoiling both the no-hitter and the shutout. Back-to-back doubles from Dwight Smith Jr. and Art Charles chased Gant, and although reliever Flabio Ortega gave up an RBI single to Matt Dean that tied the game, he prevented any additional damage.
Ortega (1-0) actually ended up getting credited with the win. Kingsport tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth when Maikis De La Cruz's two-out triple plated Jeffrey Diehl, who had just singled. Then, in the next inning, the K-Mets scored the winning run on a clutch two-out single by Cecchini to bring home Branden Kaupe. Both of Cecchini's RBI hits came with two outs. He and Diehl had two hits apiece. Diehl, Marquez and De La Cruz each had a triple for Kingsport.
Once the K-Mets got the lead, and Ortega worked through the seventh, Kingsport put the ball in Bay's hand and he finished off the Jays. The 20-year-old did walk a batter in the ninth who advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, but Bay fanned four of the seven men he faced in two innings of scoreless relief.
NOTES: Kingsport held Bluefield outfielder Carlos Ramirez without a base hit for the first time this season. ... Marquez got a tough break in the seventh. He apparently stole second base, but after popping up at the end of his slide, lost his footing and fell off the bag and was tagged out. Kingsport manager Jose Leger briefly argued the call. ... Kaupe has reached base safely in each of the seven games he's played so far this Appy League season.
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