Published: July 10, 2009 11:10 pm      

Danville shuts out Bluefield; Princeton game delayed

DANVILLE, Va. — For the second straight night, the Danville Braves blanked the Bluefield Orioles in the Appalachian League at Dan Daniel Park.

Chris Masters and Cory Rasmus combined to allow six hits, and Randy Gress collected a two-run triple, leading the Braves to a 3-0 win Friday over the Orioles, moving Danville into first place in the East Division by themselves.

Bluefield (10-8), which was shut out 2-0 by Danville on Thursday, dropped a game behind Danville, and remains a game ahead of Princeton (8-8), which was in a rain delay at Pulaski late on Friday.

Vito Frabizio (0-1) took the loss for Bluefield, allowing three runs and six hits, while striking out eight in seven innings. Justin Anderson worked the eighth for the Orioles.

Omar Casamayor, who led off for the Orioles, had four of Bluefield’s six singles. Gary Helmick and Mikey Planeta had one apiece. Bluefield is now batting just 237 as a team, which is seventh in the league.

Masters (2-2) surrendered just four hits in seven innings, while striking out nine. Rasmus picked up his first save, allowing two hits and one strikeout in two frames. Neither pitcher walked a batter.

Gress had a hand in all three runs for Danville. He reached on a two-out single in the third and scored on a double by L.V. Ware. The Braves added two in the seventh when Robert Hefflinger doubled, Jordan Kreke walked and Gress tripled to right field.

Gress and Harrilchak had two hits apiece for Danville, which had four doubles. Ware recorded his league-leading ninth stolen base of the season.

Bluefield, which has gone 18 straight innings without a run, will host Princeton tonight in the first of 11 games in the annual Mercer Cup series.

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at Dan Daniel Park

Bluefield.............000 000 000 — 0 6 0

Danville.............001 000 20x — 3 7 0

Vito Frabizio, Justin Anderson and Dashenko Ricardo. Chris Masters, Cory Rasmus (8) and Daniel Elorriaga-Matra. W—Masters (2-2); L—Frabizio (0-1); S—Rasmus 1. HR—none. Att—1,225.