Series finale goes to Potomac
Jason Hornick/News & Messenger
Marvin Lowrance is congratulated after hitting a third inning home run.
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By Dave Utnik
Published: July 4, 2008
The Potomac Nationals’ shortstop had been on the field less than 10 minutes and he’d already made such a mess of himself that even Pigpen would have been proud.
And Lyons wouldn’t have it any other way. The P-Nats leadoff batter made a head-first slide into first base to beat out an infield single in the bottom of the first inning last night and his all-out hustle set the tone for what became a 6-3 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
“I’m used to having my jersey dirty so it doesn’t really bother me at all,” Lyons said.
Since earning a promotion from low Class A Hagerstown on June 30, Lyons has introduced himself to the Carolina League in spectacular — if not necessarily tidy — fashion. He went 4 for 4 in his first start with the P-Nats on Tuesday in Kinston and has now hit safely in four consecutive games.
“I’m excited to be here. It’s a privilege to move up in the system and I’ve just been seeing the ball real well lately,” Lyons said. “The umpires in this league have been a lot better so the strike zones have been smaller which is helping me eliminate some of the bad pitches I usually swing at.”
At 23, Lyons is quickly becoming one of Washington’s most intriguing position player prospects. After being selected in the 14th-round of the 2007 draft out of the University of Minnesota, he batted .285 with 38 RBI during the first half with Hagerstown and is off to an 8-for-17 (.471) start as a P-Nat.
“If I don’t get hits I’ve got to try to draw walks, try to bunt the ball and, pretty much any way I can, I’ve got to use my speed to get on base and help the team win,” Lyons said.
On a night when former National League all-star Johnny Estrada served as Potomac’s designated hitter, Lyons reached base three times and chased down a sinking liner in the seventh to end a Pelicans’ comeback bid as Potomac maintained its slim edge over surging Lynchburg in the second half pennant race.
Estrada, who is attempting to make his way back from a right elbow injury, went 1 for 4 with an RBI single and the Northern Division’s first half champions improved to 10-5 in second half play.
Right fielder Marvin Lowrance hit his 11th home run — a solo blast in the second inning — and had an RBI single, while second baseman Michael Martinez drove in two runs with a double and a fielder’s choice groundout.
All-star third baseman Matt Rogelstad, who will play for Team Canada in the Beijing Olympics, tripled and scored a run in the fourth and catcher Jhonatan Solano (3 for 4) drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in a three-run sixth.
The Pelicans, who captured the Southern Division’s first half pennant and own the league’s best record at 53-32, rallied for three runs in the fourth off Potomac starter Jeff Mandel, who worked a career-high 6 2/3 innings and did not walk a batter to earn the victory.
Mandel (3-1) allowed only one hit over his last three innings and retired nine of the final 11 batters he faced as the P-Nats avoided a three-game sweep in front of a season-high gathering of 7,013 fans at Pfitzner Stadium.
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