Article last updated: Thursday, July 05, 2001   7:16 AM MST
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Crabs celebrate the Fourth in grand style

Ray Hamill The Times-Standard

ARCATA -- The Humboldt Crabs and San Francisco Angels celebrated the Fourth in patriotic fashion Wednesday, serving up a classic sampling of America's favorite pastime.

If it was good pitching you were looking for, there was plenty of that, not to mention some stellar defense and plenty of clutch hitting.

And for the Crabs there was the added bonus of a 5-4 win in game one of the day/night doubleheader, and for the Angels, a 4-3 win in the nightcap to give them a split of the holiday twinbill.

"A great game," is how Crabs head coach Shorty Ames described the opener, and few in the packed house at the Arcata Ballpark would have argued the point.

It was also, however, almost a great result for the Angels, who battled back to tie the score on three different occasions -- including twice in the final two innings -- only to see the home team surge ahead again each time.

The fourth go-ahead run came in the bottom of the ninth, and at that stage there was no time left for the Angels to answer.

Crabs catcher Matt Wilson walked to lead off the inning, before advancing to third on a Jeremy Ayers sacrifice bunt and a Ricky Fuller single. Center fielder Mike Hass, who had already provided his fair share of heroics on defense, then stepped up to the plate and provided a clutch at-bat, hitting a deep fly ball to left field, easily allowing Wilson beat out the tag at home plate for the winning run.

That run came just moments after the Angels had tied the score for the third time in the top half of the inning, when "Boom Boom" Watson had doubled to reach base before reaching home plate on a Danno Kingman single.

That in turn had answered a Crabs score in the bottom of the eighth, one which many in attendance would have been forgiven for thinking was the wining run, a crushing home run over the left-field fence and out onto the highway from Crabs shortstop Dan Evans.

"We did what we had to do," Ames said. "We hit another home run to put us ahead and then answered them by hitting the sacrifice fly to win the game."

But while the later stages of the game were highlighted with some clutch hitting, it was the pitching that stole the show early on.

Crabs starter Steve Cuckovich turned in a stellar effort, tossing eight and a third innings before tiring and giving way to reliever Matt Hill.

Hill took over with one out and runners at first and third, and immediately gave up the RBI single to Kingman, before forcing the next batter, Amador Solis, to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Hill got the win, but it was largely achieved through Cuckovich's play, with the Sacramento State star allowing eight hits and striking out four.

Cuckovich allowed just four of those hits through the opening seven innings, but appeared to tire in the eighth when he gave up a pair of runs on three consecutive hits.

"Steve Cuckovich pitched a great game," Ames said. "I hated to leave him out there so long, but he said he didn't want to come out and it worked out in the end."

The Crabs opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, taking the lead when Scott Beshears, who had singled on the first pitch of the inning, reached home plate on a two-out double by Nick Giacone.

The Angels wasted little time replying, tying the score in the top of the second when catcher Nick Burlaich singled in designated hitter Lonnie Jackson with the bases loaded.

That, however, was all the Angels could muster from the threat and Cuckovich, who had loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a hit batsman, then settled down again and retired the next two batters on a pop-up and a strikeout.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Crabs re-took the lead thanks to a couple of errors by Angels shortstop Django Whittington that allowed the first two batters reach base safely. Fuller then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Wilson come home for the go-ahead run.

Defense then took over and both teams had their moments, with the Crabs turning three inning-ending double plays for the game.

In center field, Hass had a standout day. After coming up just short on a diving attempt in the top of the fifth, Hass came up big twice in the sixth, the first time on a diving catch and the second on the run with his back to the infield.

The Crabs added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth for a 3-1 lead. With two outs, Giacone connected on his second base hit of the day, before advancing on a Chris Kinsey single and then scoring on a Wilson single.

But just as the Crabs appeared to be closing in on the win, the Angels pulled even again with a pair of scores in the top of the eighth, before the Crabs sealed the win with the late clutch hits.

Josh Gray started on the mound for the Angels and turned in a strong effort, holding the home team to seven hits, just three through the opening five innings, while striking out five.