Kern’s key two-run blast leads Napa Silverados to victory over Martinez
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
The Napa Silverados had the recipe for success going on Thursday night in their 6-4 win over Martinez according to manager Tito Fuentes.
“All the things you want in a baseball game, good pitching and timely hitting,” Fuentes remarked afterwards.
Home runs are always nice, but especially when they come from your leadoff hitter, which is a guy who generally doesn’t hit as many big flies compared to the number three, four, or five guys in the lineup. In the bottom of the fifth when Nick Kern hit his third homer of the season it was a much needed boost to push his team to the win.
“It felt great off the bat,” Kern said of his homer. “I mean whenever you barrell a ball especially up in the air to left you know it’s got a shot with the wind blowing out, but yeah felt great, knew it had a shot, and I knew we needed those runs, so I was fired up.”
Napa (16-21) found themselves down early on after the Clippers (7-30) scored twice in the top of the first. Shaine Hughes single brought in the first two runs of the day.
The Silverados clawed back for a run in the bottom of the first. After walking, Kern came home on a Nicco Toni ground out.
Napa took their first lead of the game with two runs in the third. A Willy Salas single brought home Austin Fitzpatrick. Later, Salas scored when Toni doubled.
Martinez would later score once more in the top of the eighth.
For Napa starter Billy Philo it was a solid evening on the bump. He struck out eight and walked four on the evening over six innings of work to earn the victory. After working out of trouble in the fifth Filo was able to work one more frame, which was able to give the bullpen an extra inning of rest.
“Billy threw phenomenal, and there was a time where I think they (coaches) weren’t sure if he was going to stay in maybe in the fifth inning, but he grinded through it and then came in and said ‘no I want the ball still’ and I think he threw that sixth inning off of that, so that was huge,” Kern explained of Philo.
Angel Mejia registered his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning of work. He struck out two and walked one.
The two teams will meet again tonight at 6 p.m.
NVC’s Dan Parker new Martinez manager
Thursday was Dan Parker’s first road game since becoming the Clippers new manager on July 10th.
Parker has been Napa Valley College’s skipper for two years, and will still lead the Storm even with his new job with the Clippers.
“I think it’s the same reason why our college guys go and play summer ball, you know the get the repetitions” Parker said doing both jobs. “And for me you know any chance I get to get better and better myself and you know make it to so that I can help my guys anymore then I’m going to do it.”
