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Foxhounds Outfoxed

• The first-half South Coast League champion South Georgia Peanuts begin the second half on a winning note against Aiken.

Tim Miller
Staff Correspondent

ALBANY — South Georgia started the second half of its season Monday the way the Peanuts finished the first half, by defeating the Aiken Foxhounds, 6-4.

The Peanuts are already tied for first in the South Coast League and on their way to winning again.

“It’s a new start for us,” South Georgia manager Wally Backman said. “There is still a long half to go but it’s good they came out and played the way they played (Monday). I thought we did well.”

Johnny Washington broke the game open for South Georgia when he ripped a two-run single in the fourth inning to lift his team to a 3-2 lead.

“I was looking for a good pitch to hit and a 2-0 count is a good place to get it,” Washington said. “I put a swing on a fastball middle away and I was lucky to get a hit.”

Mike Caruso and Doc Brooks combined for two insurance runs in the sixth inning to put the game completely out of the Foxhounds’ reach. Brooks doubled off the center field wall to drive Joey Hooft in for the Peanuts’ fifth run.

“I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit,” Brooks said. “I was trying to help my team out and get some runs. I got the pitch. I’m glad we came out with the win.”

Steve Butler capped off South Georgia scoring in the seventh with an RBI single which drove in Brandon Woolard.

“We left some runners on base,” Backman said, “but we aren’t going to get a hit every time. Our situational hitting is one thing we need to get better at.”

Austin Weilep started on the mound for the Peanuts and scored the win, extending his record to 6-1. Weilep faced 31 Aiken batters over seven innings. He struck out seven and gave up only three earned runs.

“Starting out I gave a lot of 0-1 hits, 0-2 hits,” Weilep said. “I got some breaks but it was a battle for the win. Getting the win is the big one for me. We’re not going to pack it up, we’re going to keep playing.”

The Foxhounds started former major leaguer Tim Drew who lasted six innings before being relieved by both Gary Lee and Steve Dunham. Drew gave up five runs and seven hits, striking out only one.

“Drew battled, he kept us in the ballgame,” Aiken manager Chris Bando said.

“We just couldn’t get big hits. They came in the game and shut us down.”

Aiken took the lead early with a leadoff hit from Scott Houin.

Later, the Foxhounds scored one in the third and two in the seventh but they could not overcome the defensive play of Peanuts’ center fielder Jasha Balcom. Foxhound Kelly Hunt scored a two-RBI double in the seventh but Balcom robbed Francis Finnerty and Bradley Key in the eighth to quickly squash any Aiken hopes of coming back.

“(Finnerty’s hit) was just a line drive that stayed up, I got a decent jump on it and I just snagged it,” Balcom said. “I know getting that first out was big for us.”

Going 0-for-4 in five at bats, Peanuts catcher Nick Prosise ended the team’s longest consecutive game hitting steak.

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