The Vikings’ Cantibol Encarnacion gave up two hits in pitching a rare complete game 2-0 shutout of the A’s Sunday night at the D.C. Canegata Ball Park.
The A’s, once a powerhouse in the Raphael Jackson Double-A Baseball League, are returning after years of not fielding a team.
The A’s also got great pitching efforts from the three arms they sent to the mound, only allowing a combined four hits over nine innings. Unfortunately, they went up against Encarnacion, whose performance was a great start for the Vikings 2011 baseball season.
Batting first, the Vikings scored the only run Encarnacion would need when Warren Brooks RBI single knocked home Arthur Canaii, who reached on an error by the A’s first baseman then promptly stole second to get into scoring position.
Good pitching would keep both sides scoreless over the next two innings. But in the top of the fourth, the Vikings would came alive for their second run. With one out, Brooks singled and moved to second on a walk drawn by Jahmoi Williams. Joseph Brow then delivered an RBI double that scored Brooks for the final run of the game.
Encarnacion, continuing to pitch a great game, would face 19 batters over the next six innings, one more than the minimum 18, in getting his well-earned complete game victory.
Richard White, the first of three pitchers utilized by the A’s got the loss.
Top batters for the Vikings were Brooks (2 for 4 with one RBI) and Brow (1 for 4 with one RBI). For the A’s, Mark Knight was 1 for 2, and Rashawn Foster was 1 for 4.
