Local 'Dog has his day: ; Ex-Greenbrier East star McClung shuts down Alley Cats

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

As a prelude to Fourth of July firework shows across the Valley,Seth McClung generated some sparks of his own at Watt Powell Park.

The Lewisburg native and former Greenbrier East High Schoolstandout had a ball Wednesday as 40 of his closest friends andrelatives cheered him on.

"I have fun every time I take the mound," said the Charleston(S.C.) RiverDog pitcher. "How many kids have this kind ofopportunity? If I can't have fun, I need to get out of it. Wheneverything is working out, it's a blast."

It couldn't have been working any better Wednesday.

McClung, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound right-hander, blanked theCharleston Alley Cats, pitching a four-hit, seven-strikeout, no-walk, complete-game shutout, as the RiverDogs downed the Cats, 1-0,before an Independence Day crowd of 741.

The Cats are 7-6, the 'Dogs 8-5.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Cats, whoentered the game tied for second place in the South Atlantic LeagueNorth Division.

McClung threw as hard as 96 mph. John Duffy, the RiverDogpitching coach, saw him hit 98 last year. Duffy knows McClung's bestdays are ahead of him.

"I've seen progression in him this year and last," Duffy said."Sometimes he drifts. Today he did a little in the seventh andeighth innings, but he pitched his way out of it.

"He still hasn't figured it all out. In the seventh inning hethrew an easy pitch and it went 96. When he tries to throw 100 itcomes out 92. When he figures it out, he will be consistently throw98. The results show when he just makes up his mind to let thingshappen."

McClung said he has suffered all season from flu-like symptomsand, as a result, didn't have his best stuff for his homecoming.

"But I came in focused," he said. "I felt like I was pitching atGreenbrier East with all those guys yelling for me. And the guys inour infield really did a great job."

McClung was a fifth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Devil Raysin the 1999 draft. He is in no hurry to reach the Major Leagues,knowing his time will come if he learns his lessons.

"The Devil Rays have a lot of young pitchers on their staff,"McClung said. "So they're going to take their time with me."

McClung said he still has plenty to learn.

"Overall reading of hitters," he said. "Control of my fastball.Command of all my pitches really. But that comes with time and I'vegot plenty of it."

Wednesday's triumph improved McClung's record to 6-8. He enteredthe game with a 4.08 ERA. In 86 innings he'd given up 89 hits, 54runs (30 earned) and 31 walks with 101 strikeouts.

Suffering from a serious sinus condition, McClung stumbled out ofthe gate this season. After three starts, McClung's ERA stood at15.00. He later lowered it to 3.20 before a recent rocking.

"Our team has had its ups and downs," McClung said, of hisrecord. "I've battled a sore arm and sickness. But we've pulled backinto first place (or near it). We came on the road and lost twoclose ones before today."

The RiverDogs' lone run Wednesday in the seventh inning camepartially on Cat mental breakdowns and partially on luck.

With one out, Jace Brewer hit a ball down the line that struckthird base and bounced high into the air, giving Cat Aaron Sisk notime to make a throw to first.

Next, Rocco Baldelli hit a short fly into center field thateither Cat shortstop Raul Tablado or second baseman Richard Jiminezcould have reached. Instead, both went to cover second, while centerfielder Justin Singleton sprinted in vain to catch the pop.

Alley Cat starter Brian Cardwell then threw his only wild pitchof the day to advance the runners to second and third. Justin Schudahit a lazy sacrifice fly to score Brewer.

Cardwell, 1-5, was happy with the start, his third sincereturning from an elbow injury that kept him out of the lineup threeto four weeks. In seven innings, Cardwell allowed six hits, whilestriking out two and walking one.

"It was my first game back that I really had my mechanics down,"he said. "I felt better. I felt I could keep the ball down and hitthe zone. I hope I keep it up."

* n n

CAT SCRATCHES: Charleston concludes its series with the RiverDogstonight at 7:15. The Wilmington Waves will then hit town for a four-game series that begins Friday and will conclude on Monday.

Writer Andy Spradling can be reached at 348-1712 or by e-mail ataspradling@dailymail.com.