Dans Lose, But Clinch First Half Division Crown

From the Cape Catfish:

DANVILLE, Ill. – Just as the Danville Dans did Friday night at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, the Cape Catfish got off to a fast start Saturday night in Danville and held on to defeat the Dans 9-2.

Cape scored three times in the first inning thanks to back-to-back walks issued to Southeast Missouri State's Josh Cameron and Belmont University's Blake Barton, an RBI single by SEMO's Ty Stauss, a wild pitch that allowed Barton to score and an RBI sacrifice fly by SIU-Carbondale's J.D. Ortiz that brought Barton home.

Three runs would have been enough to win the game, but the Catfish went on to score runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings including:

• An unearned run in the fifth inning when Cameron walked and made it the rest of the way around the bases when the Dans committed two errors on one play;
• Two runs in the sixth thanks to RBI singles by Chris Hall (Florida State College at Jacksonville) and Lane Crowden (Lindenwood University);
• An RBI single by Stauss in the seventh;
• And two RBI's credited to Kolten Poorman (Three Rivers Community College) in the ninth inning.

The Dans scored their two runs with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Cape starting pitcher Griffin Lohman (Purdue University) held the Dans to two hits and two runs while striking out seven over six innings to improve his record to 3-2. Orange Coast College's Jared Casebier, who started on the mound for Danville, took the loss, allowing three runs in his two innings of work. His record fell to 0-2.

With their win, the Catfish improved their record to 11-18 while the Dans fell to 20-9.

Cape will wrap up the first half of the 2022 Prospect League season Sunday with a 5:35 p.m. game against the River Dragons in Alton.

*Because the REX lost both ends of a doubleheader with Champion City Saturday, Danville clinched the Wabash River Division First-Half, securing a home playoff game Sunday, August 7.