Short-season Auburn Doubledays win 2011 opener

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

June 17, 2011, 7:00pm

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There were some very impressive performances from a few of the minor league affiliates in the Nationals' chain Friday, including the debut of the short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays, managed by Gary Cathcart, as a Washington affiliate. Doubledays catcher Adrian Nieto went 3-for-3 with two runs, a homer and two RBIs as Auburn started its season with 11 hits and a 6-1 win over Batavia. Ryan Demmin went five innings for the win. At Double-A, Nationals prospects Josh Johnson and Chris Rahl each had three hits, while Tyler Moore, Derek Norris and Jonathan Tucker all had two hits apiece as Harrisburg recorded 15 hits in an 8-4 win over Altoona. Erik Davis (3-2) notched the win. Relievers Pat Lehman, Cory VanAllen and Zech Zinicola pitched scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth innings, respectively. The Senators' bullpen has allowed no runs in the last four games. At low Single-A Hagerstown, outfielder Randolph Oduber's walk-off RBI single lifted the Suns past Delmarva 2-1 in 10 innings. Bryce Harper went 2-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base. Hagerstown is two games back of Hickory and Greensboro for first place in the Northern Division with two games to play in the South Atlantic League's first half.