Emperors start new season, new era with shutout win
Murphy's dominant start, early run and timely insurance late help Rome
ROME — The Rome Emperors started a new era on Friday at AdventHealth Stadium about as well as they could’ve drawn it up.
Rome got a dominant start from pitcher Owen Murphy, an early lead with a first-inning run, some insurance on the scoreboard in the later innings and some huge outs from their bullpen to earn a 4-0 victory over the Hickory Crawdads in front of a large and energetic crowd on Opening Night at the ballpark.
“It’s always great to get that first one,” said Rome manager Cody Gabella after the victory, which was the first since the club changed its identity to the Emperors from the Braves back in November. “These guys have been playing games in spring training and they will play hard no matter what kind of game it is, but having that kind of crowd tonight gave them that extra kind of bump they needed. They fed off that energy from start to finish.”
Rome (1-0) got started early with a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by Ethan Workinger that brought home a sprinting Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. from second. Workinger then tried to score on the play as well as the ball got by the left fielder, but he was cut down on a close play at the plate on a play that got the crowd into the game early.
That turned out to be all the run support needed behind Murphy’s impressive outing. The Atlanta Braves’ No. 5 prospect in the system went 6 2/3 innings and allowed no runs on just two hits with eight strikeouts and one walk to earn the win.
He gave way to Shay Shanaman, who pitched 1 1/3 innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen to earn the hold, stranding Hickory runners in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth. Rolddy Munoz then got through the ninth to close things out as he also was able to get out of a first and third jam with no damage done as he got a strikeout looking to end it and secure the victory.
“(Murphy) did a really good job for us tonight. He got ahead and executed well when he was ahead of hitters,” said Gabella. “He’s got that bulldog mentality, and he’s going to go as long as he can go. He’s one of those guys that never wants to come out. He got in a rhythm early on and was calm, cool and collected.
“Then our guys out of the pen have been pitching a good bit in spring, but now to see them get those big outs in a game that actually counts in the standings was great. Both of them faced some adversity and both handled it well to shut the door.”
The score was 1-0 in favor of the Emperors until the seventh when they were able to add another tally to the lead on a two-out, RBI-single from Workinger, his second of the night.
Then in the eighth Rome struck for two more thanks to a sac fly from Stephen Paolini followed by an RBI single from Kilpatrick.
“That early run was really good to set the tone for the night and get the crowd into it,” said Gabella. “KK (Kilpatrick) had a great at-bat and then Workinger came through to bring him in. Then to add any kind of insurance runs on late in games is always huge especially with the confidence we have in our bullpen.”
Workinger and Kilpatrick each finished with two hits as Workinger drove in a pair of runs while Kilpatrick drove in one and scored one. Paolini had the other RBI on the sac fly, and Sabin Ceballos, Justin Janas, Ambioris Tavarez and Jeremy Celedonio each added one hit.
Winston Santos took the loss for Hickory (0-1) after going five innings and allowing one run on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Luis Ramirez, Bryan Chi and Yohanse Morel all pitched
at the same time as white and yellow bass. That is when it is possible for the hybrid striper and white bass cross to happen. Natural hybrids are rare because white bass eggs stick to rocks, logs and vegetation while striped bass eggs are neutrally buoyant and float in the current. Hybrid bass, although usually sterile, often migrate with other members of the temperate bass and go through the spawning process, usually in vain.
Stripers add excitement to a fishing trip. The striped bass all tackle world record is 81.87 pounds and the average in the rivers around Northwest Georgia is between 8 and 15 pounds. The largest I personally know of is just over 50 pounds, caught west of Rome.
The Coosa River basin is blessed with stripers and has one of the few naturally reproducing populations of landlocked stripers in the country. There is just the right flow rate in the Oostanaula and the temperature and flow together allow the eggs to stay suspended for the 40 or so hours needed to hatch.
Striped bass are strong, fast and aggressive and if you are not ready, they can yank a rod right out of your hand.
A medium/heavy rod and reel with at least 12-pound test line is needed. Swimming lures such as a redfin or large spoons work well, but never forget that a large jig with a 5-inch plastic curly-tail works great and is cheaper. If you have never caught a large striper, don’t expect to stop his run. Instead, use the drag built into a high-quality reel to help by tiring the fish. If large fish can’t take line, they will break the line. Stripers are fun on a fly rod. A seven to eight weight rod with a floating line for poppers, or a sinking tip line for streamers, works well.
White perch, the smallest of the temperate bass, normally inhabit brackish waters and are rare in Georgia. In this state, to avoid confusion between different members of the temperate bass family, the limit for all is 15 and only two of them can be 22 inches or longer.
Paul DiPrima of the Trout Unlimited Cohutta Chapter can be reached at PaulDiPrima@aol.com. The opinions in Talking Trout are his own. Unless specifically stated, they do not reflect the thoughts or policies of TU on the state or national level.