Anglers Look for Fourth-Straight Win, take on Rival Orleans

by Chris Jones, 07-03-2013

After the Anglers collected their third straight win on Tuesday night against Bourne, the post-game message was still the same as it has been all season: Stay even-keel.

"We have been better as an offense lately, and it is always good to keep winning, but we have to keep even about all of it," Hunter Redman (Texas Tech) said.

It was a night of new faces for Chatham on Tuesday, as four different Anglers made their Cape League debuts.

Right-hander Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) locked down the save for the Anglers, striking out three and only allowing one run in the final two innings. For Louisville in 2013, Funkhouser held a 2.12 ERA in 22 appearances for the Cardinals.

After arriving in Chatham the night before, right-hander Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) also made an appearance on the mound, allowing three runs and striking out two in two innings pitched. In his sophomore season at Texas Tech, Moreno had a 3.84 ERA in 12 appearances, striking out 54 batters in 60.2 innings pitched.

Infielder Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) smacked a double on the first pitch he saw in his first at-bat as an angler, then would later score on an RBI single from Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State). Lassiter would end the night going 1-4 with a run scored. As a freshman at North Carolina, Lassiter hit an impressive .358 with a home run and 28 RBI.

Lassiter's teammate at North Carolina, infielder Michael Russell, also had a hit and scored a run for Chatham in his debut. For the Tar Heels in 2013, Russell hit .298 with two home runs and 39 RBI.

For Coach John Schiffner, having the ability as a coach to put guys like this in the game is exciting for him as a coach, and he believe will help the team for the rest of the season.

"These players are coming from some of the best programs in the country," Schiffner said. "It is phenomenal, it just adds to our great depth. It is exciting."

Looking for their fourth-straight win, the Anglers will make their first trip of the season to Eldridge Park to take on the Orleans Firebirds (8-7). This will be the first game in a home-and-home series for Chatham and Orleans, as the Anglers will take on the Cardinals at Veterans Field on Thursday as a part of the Cape League's 4th of July traditions.

It will be Aaron Garza's (Houston) turn in the rotation, as he is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season. On the season, Garza holds a 2.34 ERA with seven strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched.

Garza's counterpart on the mound will be Trent Szkutnik (Michigan), who will make his fourth appearance (second start) for the Firebirds. For Orleans in 2013, Szkutnik has a 1.80 ERA with seven strikeouts in 10 innings pitched.

For his sophomore season at Michigan, Szkutnik struggled with a 5.80 ERA, allowing 42 runs in 71.1 innings pitched for the Wolverines. Opposing batters hit for a healthy .304 average against him.

Outfielder Chris Marconcini (Duke) continues to help lead the Orleans offense, as he leads the league in home runs (3) and is third in RBI (11). Marconcini is hitting .305 for the Firebirds on the season.

This will be the second edition of the Chatham-Orleans rivalry in 2013, with the Firebirds taking the first game 6-5 off of a Marconcini ninth-inning home run.

For Coach Schiffner, who is currently in his 21st year of coaching the Anglers, there definitely is a sense of rivalry between the two towns.

"Unfortunately, the players don't really realize it because they come in and only play one or two seasons, but there is a big rivalry," Schiffner said. "I know it, the Orleans coaches and staff know it, and the two towns definitely know it."

First pitch at 7 p.m. Tune into the Anglers Extra Pregame Show at 6:40 p.m. for live coverage with broadcasters Brandon Liebhaber and Keith Zubrow at TRZ Teamline or call 1-800-846-4700, code 3841.

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