Basil's Blog

In case you missed it on Saturday Night Live, Arizona Senator John McCain appeared, and offered some assistance to the Democrats as the nomination process continues…

I certainly hope the Democrats take his advice.

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It took 10 innings, but the outcome was all too familiar. The Columbus Catfish fell to the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) 2-1 tonight.

Down 1-0 after 4 innings, the Catfish tied it up in the 5th. With 1 out, CF Maiko Loyola singled, stole second (his 20th stolen base), then scored when RF Reid Fronk hit a sharp grounder to first that Augusta 1B Thomas Neal stopped, but was unable to retrieve the ball in time.

Things remained tied until the 10th, when Augusta managed to scratch out a run … and the win.

Catfish starter Alex Cobb pitched well enough to win, but didn't figure in the decision. He went 6 innings, allowing a run on 5 hits, striking out 3. Justin Garcia went 3 innings, allowing 2 hits, striking out 5. Travis Barnett pitched the 10th, allowing 1 hit and 1 run, taking his 1st loss.

Game 3 of the series is Sunday afternoon.

In a non-game related note, the Catfish honored South Atlantic League retired president John H. Moss tonight. They gave away 10 autographed baseballs, and The Wife had one of the winning numbers. And the Catfish GM, Ken Clary, looked me up during the game and gave me an autographed bobble head. He said he appreciated all the loyal fans the Catfish have had, including me, and wanted to make sure I got one of the bobble heads. That was quite kind of Ken and the Catfish to think of me … and the other fans … that way.

Just in case you aren't familiar with John H. Moss, he retired as president of the SAL at the end of last year. He served for 50 years, beginning back when it was the Western Carolinas League. He kept the league afloat during some lean times, and has helped the league experience unprecedented growth and success. He took the league from what was indeed Western Carolinas League, to a true South Atlantic League … and beyond. The SAL now reaches to the Great Lakes and up to New Jersey.

So, yes, John H. Moss is a baseball man of note, particularly in the minor leagues. I certainly appreciate the gifts from the Catfish, and from Messrs. Clary and Moss.

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Things turned around tonight for the Columbus Catfish, who jumped out to an early lead, then held on to beat the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) 3-1 tonight.

3B Greg Sexton doubled home RF Reid Fronk in the 1st to put the Catfish up 1-0.

Fronk drove in CF Maiko Loyola in the 5th, and DH Shawn Williams drove in LF Stephen Vogt with a double to center in the 6th, putting the Catfish up 3-0.

SS Shawn O'Malley was 3-for-4 with a double to lead the Catfish batters. Sexton and Williams each had a pair of hits.

Brian Flores went 6 innings, allowing 7 hits and striking out 3. Jose Angel Mejias went the rest of the way, allowing 2 hits, 1 run, and recording 1 K, picking up his first save.

The second game of the series is Saturday night. The team will be honoring John Henry Moss, who was president of the South Atlantic League (nee Western Carolinas League) for 50 years, before retiring at the end of last season. His last official SAL game was the game in Columbus where the 2007 Catfish won the league title.

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Coming into this series, the Hickory Crawdads (Pirates) had lost 9 of 11. And, after the opening game, 10 of 12.

That had to be frustrating for Hickory. And they took their frustrations out on the Columbus Catfish, winning the next 3, concluding with tonight's 10-2 win over my Catfish.

Hickory scored 3 runs in the 1st, 2 of them earned, and added 4 unearned runs in the 2nd to take an early 7-0 lead.

The Catfish got a run in the 2nd when 2B James Mayer drove in LF Stephen Vogt, who had walked.

1B Henry Wrigley added another run in the 4th on a towering home run that knocked a limb off a tree behind the left field wall.

Hickory added another in the 8th, making it 8-2, and 2 more in the 9th when the DH moved to the mound.

Starter Jason Ragan didn't make it through the 2nd inning, though it wasn't entirely due to a bad pitching performance. He spoke with the pitching coach and the trainer before Skipper pulled him. Ragan allowed 2 earned runs (7 overall) on 9 hits in 1-2/3 innings. Jesse Darcy went 5, allowing 2 hits and striking out 5. Kevin Boggan pitched 1-1/3, allowing a run on 2 hits. DH Shawn Williams pitched the final inning, allowing a pair of runs on 4 hits.

Wrigley led Catfish batters with 2 of the team's 4 hits.

Friday night, the Catfish host Augusta in the first of four games.

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Just in case anyone was wondering why this is the last year the Columbus Catfish will be the Columbus Catfish…

The photos on the left are photos I took between the 1st and 2nd pitches of tonight's ball game.

It's Thirsty Thursday. That means dollar beer.

And, no those are not 3,980 fans disguised as empty seats. Those are actual empty seats.

So, when the Catfish pack up and move to Bowling Green, Kentucky after the season is over, I won't be surprised.

They certainly aren't getting support from the local fans.

Or, worse, maybe they are. Maybe it's just that there are only a handful of baseball fans in the Columbus area. That would explain a lot.

Of course, I've heard all kinds of excuses.

One is that the ballpark is located in a "bad area." That's code for "Black folks and Mexicans live around there." Though those that say it's a "bad area" say that's not what they mean, it is.

Another excuse is that "it's only Single-A baseball." Well, Columbus had a Double-A team. And they left because of poor attendance.

And then there's the old "I'd go if it was a Braves team playing." Of course, the Braves team does play here a total of 12 times (out of 70 games) this year. And most of those that give the "if it was a Braves team" excuse don't come to those 12 games when the Braves team is playing here.

So, what's the real reason?

Simple. Most folks don't care.

And for that reason alone, Columbus is losing their baseball team.

Oh, and next year? I expect to hear lots of people complaining that there's nothing to do in town that's cheap, fun, and fit for the whole family.

Too bad they don't know about the Catfish. Or care.

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A father and daughter enjoying a Catfish game

The first inning took 28 minutes, the bullpen went 6 innings and allowed just 2 hits, and there was a 5-minute delay for an injured umpire. It all added up to an exciting game, but another Catfish loss.

The Hickory Crawdads (Pirates) won there 2nd game in a row after a 2-10 stretch, holding on to beat the Columbus Catfish 7-6 tonight.

Hickory scored 3 runs in the first off Catfish starter Josh Johnson, but tied it up in the bottom of the inning.

CF Emeel Salem singled, stole his league-leading 25th base, but injured himself on the play. PR Henry Wrigley replaced Salem, and moved to third on a ground out, then scored on another ground out. 3B Greg Sexton singled and came home on LF Reid Fronk's 2-run homer off the scoreboard in left.

Hickory regained the lead in the 2nd, scoring a run, then padded the lead with 3 runs in the 3rd.

In the 4th, Sexton doubled, then went to third and scored on back-to-back ground outs.

The 6th inning saw CF Maiko Loyola walk, move to second on a wild pitch, steal third — his league 2nd-best 19th stolen base — and score on another wild pitch. Fronk, who had moved to RF, hit his 2nd homer of the night, this one a blast to right field, making it 7-6, but that's as close as the Catfish would get.

Johnson allowed 7 run on 7 hits in 3 innings work. Travis Barnett pitched the middle 3 innings, allowing a hit. Austin Hinkle pitched the final 3 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 5.

Sexton had 3 hits and scored 2 runs for the Catfish. Fronk's 2 homers accounted for 3 RBIs. Salem was the only other Catfish batter to get a hit. DH Shawn O'Malley went hitless, the first game for the Catfish in which he was held hitless.

The Catfish and Hickory conclude their series Thursday night, with the 'Fish needing a win to earn a split.

Filed under: Sports | Tags: Catfish Baseball, Columbus Catfish, Hickory Crawdads, minor league baseball | 1 Comment »

Every now and then, someone will say something that could be taken a couple of different ways. A double entendre, for those what talk all fancy-like.

I'm not about to pass up any such opportunity, often trying to respond in a way that fits both the intended and unintended meanings. The hardest part of that is keeping a straight face, and trying to look all innocent. Sometimes, I succeed in maintaining a plausible deniability.

Today, The Wife and I went to eat at a restaurant downtown for lunch. An actual sit-down restaurant, not a fast-food eatin' place.

I had already caught her in one of those unintentional turns of a phrase that could have a double meaning. And, no, I won't discuss it, other than to say she nearly spit her tea out trying not to laugh when I called her on it.

But the second, I must relay to you, because … well … it actually had the intended effect.

You'll see what I mean.

We were nearly done eating, and she was finishing off her seafood salad. I drank some tea, and felt a slight … ever so slight … twinge in my shoulder. I winced.

"You okay?" The Wife asked.

"Just my shoulder," I replied.

Since she always carries Aleve (or actually, a Walgreen's equivalent) in her purse, and since her purse was on the floor at her feet, she pointed to her purse and asked, "Would you like some of this?"

Now, we're at a small table, a four-seater. We are on adjoining sides; she's to my right, I'm to her left, and her purse is at her left foot.

She uses her right hand (she's right-handed) to point. She's pointing toward her purse. But, there's one thing in between her pointing finger and her purse that she forgot about: her lap.

So, my wife is sitting there, unknowingly pointing to her lap, and asking me, "Would you like some of this?"

I freeze, staring at her intently, then blink two, three times.

Finally, "Why, yes, I would, come to think of it."

That's when she realizes the situation.

"Oh, you! I meant some Aleve. It's in my purse. At my feet!"

I declined.

I had forgotten all about my shoulder hurting.

Filed under: Family, Humor | Tags: Humor | 2 Comments »

They didn't dig themselves a deep hole, just one deep enough to not be able to crawl out of. And every time they nearly got out, they dug a little deeper.

The Columbus Catfish fell behind early to the Hickory Crawdads (Pirates) early, and couldn't catch up, losing 7-5 tonight.

Hickory put up a run in the 2nd and two in the 4th, to go up 3-0.

The Catfish narrowed the gap in the bottom of the 4th. LF Reid Fronk drove in SS Shawn O'Malley on a sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to 3-1.

The 5th inning saw CF Emeel Salem drove in C Steven Vogt on an bunt single, making it 3-2.

After Hickory got a run in the 6th, the Catfish narrowed the gap again in the bottom of the inning when 1B Henry Wrigley singled in Sexton.

Three Hickory runs in the 7th put the visitors up 7-3, but the Catfish got 2 back in the bottom of the inning. Sexton singled in Salem, and Fronk drove in O'Malley on a sacrifice fly, bringing the Catfish to within 2, 7-5.

Starter Glenn Gibson went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, striking out 2. Chris Fessler went 1-2/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits. Jose Mejias went the rest of the way, allowing 2 hits.

Salem, Sexton, Loyola and Vogt each had a pair of hits for the Catfish. Salem stole his league-leading 24th base, and O'Malley extended his team-leading 8-game hitting streak. O'Malley has hit in every game he's played for the Catfish since being called up.

Game 3 of the series is Wednesday night.

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The best answer for a case of the Mondays is ending the Monday on a good note. And the Columbus Catfish did just that tonight, beating the Hickory Crawdads (Pirates) 6-4.

The Catfish put a pair of runs across the plate in the 1st inning. With 1 out, SS Shawn O'Malley singled, his 7th game game with the Catfish, and his 7th game with a hit. O'Malley stole second. RF Maiko Loyola walked, then both runners moved up on a wild pitch. 3B Greg Sexton grounded out to third, driving in O'Malley. Another wild pitch allowed Loyola to score.

Hickory tied it in the 2nd on a 2-run homer by Marcus Davis.

The Catfish regained the lead in the 4th on a 2-run homer by Sexton that cleared the Domino's Pizza sign in left.

Another run in the 7th extended the lead to 5-2. Loyola singled to right, driving in 2B Omar Luna, who had reached on a fielder's choice.

Hickory gave the Catfish a scare in the 8th, putting 2 runs up before Loyola cut the rally short with a diving grab in right for the 3rd out.

Back to back doubles by LF Reid Fronk and C Mike McCormick gave the Catfish a 2-run lead, 6-4.

Hickory threatened in the 9th, loading the bases with 2 outs, but P Kevin Boggan coaxed a ground ball out of Erik Huber, which Sexton fielded and stepped on third to end the game.

Alex Cobb went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, striking out 5, to become the 1st South Atlantic League pitcher to win 6 games this season. Lake County's Ryan Miller also won his 6th game tonight. Justin Garcia pitched 2-2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 6. Boggan finished the game, picking up his 3rd save.

Fronk went 3-for-4 and scored a run. Loyola was 2-for-3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Sexton had 3 RBIs.

The win is the 3rd in a row for the Catfish. Game 2 of the series is tomorrow night.

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Former Columbus Catfish pitcher James McDonald (Catfish 2006) was named Pitcher of the Week for the Southern League.

Southern League
James McDonald, Jacksonville
1-0, 1.38 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 16 SO
The California native picked up his first victory in nearly a month on Sunday, when he tossed six innings of two-run ball at Mobile. He scattered six hits, striking out seven and walking just one. That came on the heels of his best effort of the season — seven innings of shutout ball at home against Carolina on Tuesday. McDonald tied a season high with nine strikeouts in that game and didn't walk a batter. He lowered his season ERA from 5.27 to 4.02 during the week.

McDonald played for the Catfish in 2006, earning SAL Pitcher of the Week honors the last week of the season. Last year, he picked up California League Pitcher of the Week honors for the week ending June 19. He was also named a Minor League All-Star by Baseball America for 2007.

During 2006 as a member of the Catfish, McDonald appeared in 30 games, 22 as a starter. Though he only went 5-10, his ERA was a respectable 3.98. He had 1 shutout, and had 2 complete games. No one in the SAL had more that year. McDonald allowed just 15 earned runs, 5th best in the league. McDonald was a member of the Catfish when they were a Dodgers affiliate. He's now at the Dodgers' Double-A team in Jacksonville.

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DH Shawn Williams went 5-for-5 and drove in 2 runs to help the Columbus Catfish beat the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) 9-1 tonight.

The Catfish punched across 4 runs in the top of the 1st. 3B Greg Sexton drove in CF Emeel Salem, who singled. LF Steven Vogt doubled home Williams, who had also doubled, and RF Maiko Loyola, who had walked. C Mike McCormick reached on an error that allowed Sexton to score, and the Catfish had a 4-0 lead.

In the 2nd, Sexton singled in Williams, who was hit by a pitch, and the lead was 5-0.

The 3rd inning saw the Catfish score again. 1B Henry Wrigley tripled, driving in McCormick, who had singled. 2B Seth Dhaenens drove Wrigley in on a sacrifice fly. Williams singled in Salem, who had reached on a single, putting the Catfish up 8-0.

Augusta narrowed it slightly with a run in the 4th, but the Catfish got the run back in the 6th. Williams drove in Salem with a single up the middle, making it 9-1.

Besides Williams' 5-for-5 performance, Salem and Sexton had 3 hits each. Wrigley's triple was his 4th of the season, tops in the league.

Brian Flores picked up his 2nd win of the season, going 5 innings, allowing a run on 6 hits, striking out 7. Jesse Darcy pitched 3 perfect innings, striking out a pair. Jose Mejias pitched a perfect 9th.

The win gives the Catfish a split with Augusta, and brings them home Monday on a 2-game winning streak.

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I mentioned earlier the issues I had with using my Verizon phone's broadband capabilities with my MacBook.

I never could get the VZAccess Manager to work. But I got the phone to work.

Okay, Alex with Verizon tech support got it to work. But I get all the benefits.

And, it occurred to me. Others might have the same problem, since the research shows that others have had the same issue. Research also showed that many never could get VZAccess Manager to work.

Well, here's how to get the phone to work as a broadband modem, which is the goal anyway.

First, you got to make sure your phone supports the feature. Your Verizon sales associate … mine was Will, at the Verizon store in Peachtree Mall in Columbus … told me mine did. And he was right.

Next, you either need the Mobile Office Kit, or you need Bluetooth connectivity. I have both, but prefer the cable, since it's faster than the Bluetooth connectivity.

Then, try to use the Verizon installation discs. It might work for you. And, if it does, great. But if not, you're in the same boat I was in.

Assuming that, you need to remove your VZAccess Manager installation.

Next, open System Preferences. That's your little Apple icon in the top left corner, then selecting System Preferences.

When that opens, select Network.

In the left-hand column, look for something that refers to a USB modem. In the main window on the right, create a new configuration. Call it anything, but something useful … like VZW … would be a good idea.

For Telephone Number, enter: #777

For Account Name, enter your phone number, followed by "@vzw3g.com" … meaning that if your phone number is 404-555-1234, that you should enter: 4045551234@vzw3g.com

For your password, enter: vzw

Ensure that "Show modem status in menu bar" is checked.

Click Apply, then click Advanced.

Select the Modem tab. In Vendor, look for "Verizon." If you don't find it, select "Other."

In Model, look for "1xEDVO" or something along that line. Failing that, select a Verizon entry. I had "Verizon Support (PC 5220)"

Ensure "Enable error correction and compression in modem" is checked.

For Dial Mode, select "Ignore dial tone when dialing"

Ensure Dialing is set to "Tone" and that Sound is set to "On"

Click OK. Click Apply (if it's not grayed out).

Close System Preferences, because you're done!

To test it, look for the modem icon on the menu bar. It looks like a phone receiver with dots and dashes coming out of it.

You should see an option to connect your phone. Mine says "Connect LG CDMA USB Modem"

If all this doesn't work, call Verizon Wireless tech support. Ask for Alex. I'm sure he'd appreciate the reference.

But, be aware that this did work for me.

How do I know?

I'm sitting in a fast food restaurant, eating a hamburger, connected to the Internet using my Verizon Wireless phone on my MacBook.

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Got a new toy.

Okay, I didn't get a new toy. I just found a new use for an old toy. Which is just as good.

I've dealt with a couple of different cell phone providers over the years: Alltel, T-Mobile, Verizon … and others that are no longer in business or have been absorbed by others. Currently, we're using Verizon. Service is mostly good. Most of the time, in our travels, we find good to excellent reception.

Anyway, last summer, I got a MacBook. And, after some initial issues with the hard drive, it's been a good computer.

One problem, though. There aren't a lot of places where I can get on the Internet easily.

Sure, when I'm at home, it's easy to get on the Internet. We have a wireless network set up. I can get on with my MacBook. The Wife can get on with her Dell notebook.

But, what about when I'm away from home?

Some restaurants have free wi-fi access. Burger King in downtown Columbus, for instance. And the Subway downtown.

The McDonald's downtown says they offer it, but they don't. It don't work, anyway, and the folks I speak with there about it are totally without a clue.

The mall has connectivity, but it's through Wayport, who wants a monthly fee. Not a bad deal, either: $10 a month is cheap enough. But only a few places here use Wayport. There's the mall, and … well, Wayport says McDonald's, but the mascot isn't the only clown there.

I've been thinking about an iPhone. That'd be cool. But AT&T is the only provider there. That's not a problem, except that I'd have to switch the phone in the car back to a prepay package through On*Star, or do without; Verizon is the only provider that works with On*Star, or so Verizon and On*Star say. And I believe them.

The only other thing about an iPhone is the ease of use. I like to use a computer, not something the size of my iPod. Something with a real keyboard.

Verizon offers a USB attachment that will work with PC or Mac. And I nearly bought one of those.

Then, Will at the Verizon store in Peachtree Mall in Columbus told me about another route available to me.

Will told me that my phone, an LG VX8300, can be used as a broadband modem.

Wha…???

This little phone I've been carrying around for nearly two years?

Yep. I can connect it via the Verizon Mobile Office Kit (regularly $40, but on special for $10; less with my corporate discount).

Which means that, if I'm, say, at a baseball game, and I want to get on the Internet … I can.

Heh. I'm liking that idea.

So, I got it. And added the broadband access to the plan. Which, because we didn't need to make any major changes, did not require any change to our plan. We aren't tied to it for two years, for instance; we can drop it when we want.

And I went home happy last night.

Didn't stay happy long, though. I couldn't get it to work.

Rather than play through all the sordid details, here's (briefly) how it played out.

Verizon took two customer service reps to finally decide that I didn't have the proper modem script for my phone. I was told I needed to get that from Apple.

Apple, on the other hand, said they didn't make scripts or drivers for phones. They said I'd need to get them from Verizon.

So, this morning, I got Verizon on one phone, Apple on another, and the MacBook on the other.

Everyone finally decided the other was at fault.

Except that Alex, the guy from Verizon, wanted me to go away happy. The others, I suspect, just wanted me to go away.

So, Alex got on his computer, suggested some things I could look up on mine (remember, I'm trying to get my phone to work as a modem, but still have access via my home network, if desired), and we went to town on it.

Alex found a couple of settings to try with the modem drivers and scripts that Apple supplied with the computer (despite their statement that they didn't). And, after several instances that included the phrase, "Hey, y'all, watch this," we finally got it working.

Then, he agreed to stay on the line with me to get the phone to work without the cable; yes, a Bluetooth connection is possible with my phone. And we got it working.

All the folks at Verizon … all five of them, last night and this morning combined … attempted to be helpful. All wanted to do more. And the last, Alex, actually got it working.

Apple? The place with the geniuses? Not so helpful. I guess all their geniuses had the day off, and I ended up with the second string. One said he couldn't help me, that no one could, and didn't seem too eager to go above and beyond. The other guy at Apple was much more willing, but no more helpful, in the end.

Kudos to Alex at Verizon Wireless technical support for helping me get my broadband phone modem working. And kudos to Will at the Verizon store for directing me to the way that was most useful for me, even though it cost him the sale of a piece of equipment, since I was able to use existing equipment to connect.

Verizon? Can you hear me now? You done good.

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Shawn O'Malley kept his hitting streak alive and drove in 2 runs as the Columbus Catfish broke a losing streak, beating the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) 5-3 tonight.

The Catfish broke out on top first, scoring twice in the 3rd inning. 1B Henry Wrigley singled, moved to second on a ground out, and scored when SS Omar Luna singled to center. With 2 outs, O'Malley singled home Luna, and the Catfish were up 2-0.

Augusta tied it in th bottom of the 3rd. But in the 5th, the Catfish took the lead for good. C Mike McCormick reached on a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, then scored when Wrigley singled.

In the 6th, 3B Greg Sexton drove in RF Maiko Loyola, who had singled, stolen second, and moved to third on an error.

Augusta closed it to 4-3 in the bottom of the 6th, but the Catfish extended the lead when Luna, who doubled and moved to third on a single by CF Emeel Salem, scored when O'Malley reached on a fielder's choice.

Starter Jason Ragan picked up his league-leading 5th win of the season. He joins teammate Alex Cobb in the 5-win club. Ragan went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs … 2 earned … and striking out 2. Reliever Travis Barnett didn't allow a hit in 2 innings work, and Kevin Boggan picked up a save by pitching the 9th, shutting down Augusta.

O'Malley's 2 RBIs lead the Catfish. The DH has hit safely in all 6 games he's appeared in since being called up. Luna led all batters with 3 hits, while Wrigley, Loyola, and Salem each had a pair.

Loyola had 2 stolen bases, bringing his total to 16, 3rd-best in the league, behind teammate and league leader Salem, who has 23, and Asheville's Everth Cabrera, who stole his 17th tonight against Charleston.

The win puts the Catfish in position to earn a split in the series with Augusta, if they can win the final game Saturday night. After taking Mother's Day off, the Catfish return to Columbus Monday to open an 8-game home stand.

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They had the lead, but couldn't hold it.

After coming from behind to take the lead in the 5th, a 3-run 7th did in the Columbus Catfish last night, as they lost their 2nd straight game to the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) 6-4 Thursday night.

Augusta took a 1-0 lead in the 1st, and the Catfish tied it up in the 2nd. 1B Henry Wrigley singled home 3B Greg Sexton, who had reached on an error to start the inning.

Augusta retook the lead with single runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. The Catfish closed the gap in the 4th. Sexton tripled, then scored on a single by RF Reid Fronk, making it 3-2.

In the 5th, the Catfish took the lead. Wrigley singled, DH Cody Cipriano walked, then 2B Omar Luna singled to load the bases. CF Maiko Loyola singled home Wrigley, then SS Shawn O'Malley drove in Cipriano, giving the Catfish the lead.

3 Augusta runs in the 7th, though, did the Catfish in.

Josh Johnson went 5 innings for the Catfish, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, recording 4 strikeouts along the way. Chris Fessler took the loss, going an inning and 2/3, allowing 3 runs and getting 1 K. It's his 1st loss, as well as his 1st blown save, of the year. Austin Hinkle pitched the rest of the game, allowing 2 hits and recording 2 strikeouts.

Wrigley went 3-for-4, his 3rd multi-hit game of this road trip. He had an RBI ad scored a run. Luna, Fronk, and Loyola each had 2 hits for the Catfish. O'Malley's hit means he's had a hit in all 5 games he's played since being called up.

The series continues Friday night, with the Catfish needing to win then and the following night in order to earn a split.

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