Published: July 09, 2009 10:21 pm      

Braves move back into first place tie with Orioles

DANVILLE, Va. — Reigning Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week Brett Oberholtzer scattered four hits over seven innings, and the Danville Braves returned to a tie for first place in the East Division with a 2-0 win over the Bluefield Orioles on Thursday night at Dan Daniel Park.

Oberholtzer (1-0), who struck out eight and walked none, lowered his earned run average to 0.86 on the season. An eighth round draft choice by Atlanta in 2008, Oberholtzer has allowed just seven hits and two earned runs in 21 innings, while striking out 22 and walking two.

Julio Surinach pitched the final two innings to pick up his first save.

Bluefield starter Jesse Beal (2-2) was the hard luck loser, allowing just seven hits and two runs in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked none. Sam Taveras pitched hitless ball for the final 1 2/3 innings.

Danville (10-7) scored the game’s lone runs in the second inning. South African Riaan Spanjer-Furstenberg, the league’s top hitter at .469, led off the frame with a single, and Robert Hefflinger, the circuit’s top home run hitter with six, followed with a single of his own.

Both runners moved up on an infield grounder, and Jordan Kreke followed with a two-run double to the fence in left field.

Bluefield (10-7), which defeated Danville 4-3 on a Gary Helmick 12th inning home on Wednesday, managed just four hits, including one apiece by Omar Casamayor, Luis Ramirez, Edinho Meyer and Janensis Guerrero.

Spanjer-Furstenberg and Hefflinger led the Braves with two hits apiece. L.V. Ware also added a double.

Bluefield and Danville — now tied at the top of the East — will meet again tonight at 7 p.m. The Orioles return to Bowen Field on Saturday for the first of 11 meetings in the Princeton Cup series with Princeton. First pitch is slated for 7 pm.

at Dan Daniel Park

Bluefield...............000 000 000 — 0 4 0

Danville................020 000 00x — 2 7 0

Beal, Sam (8) and Guerrero. Oberholtzer, Surinach (8) and Elorriaga-Matra. W—Oberholtzer (1-0); L—Beal (2-2); S—Surinach (1). HR—none. Att—1,271.