Catfish K'd by Rhythm, which is an ongoing issue

Cape Catfish hitter Lane Crowden swings at a pitch in a recent game at Capaha Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ Tcapobianco@semoball.com

There is no shortage of statistical areas in which the Cape Catfish have thrived during the 2024 Prospect League season.

The Catfish lead the league in triples, stolen bases, runs allowed by their pitching staff, earned runs allowed, and ERA. However, a glaring weakness this summer has been an excessive number of strikeouts endured by Cape batters, and that was evident in Friday’s 5-0 loss to the Full Count Rhythm in front of 869 fans at Capaha Field.

“It’s about approach,” first-year Catfish manager Phil Butler said following the loss. “Quite frankly, it’s about getting on pitches earlier in the counts.”

Rhythm pitchers registered 11 strikeouts, which increased Cape’s season total to 272, 39 more than any other team in the Prospect League.

“Jokingly,” veteran Catfish player Lane Crowden said, “the best two-strike hitting is to never get two strikes.”

Crowden leads his team in walks and hits, but ranks second behind his former Jackson High teammate, Henley Parker, for the most strikeouts on the Cape team, and he had two on Friday.

He reiterated what Butler has been preaching to his players this summer about their approach at the plate.

“It’s just seeing a pitch early in the count,” Crowden said. “We’ve dug a few holes for ourselves.”

The Catfish (12-15) rallied to load the bases in their final at-bat but couldn’t get a run home after notching a pair of strikeouts.

“The easiest way to not strike out,” Butler explained, “is not to get to two strikes. You can’t strike out if you don’t get to two strikes.”

In the loss, Cape managed just five hits, including a couple from JJ Williams while Southeast Missouri State player Bryce Cannon (one hit, one walk), Crowden (one walk), Ben Barrow (one hit), and Carson McCaleb (one double) each contributed.

Williams added a stolen base.

Cape pitcher Owen Clark allowed three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work while giving up five hits. He walked a pair of batters and struck out three.

Bryce Kemper was solid in 3 2/3 innings of relief work. He gave up just two hits, one earned run and did not walk a batter.

The Catfish had scored 30 combined runs in the three games leading up to Friday’s blanking.

Cape will host Burlington (5-22) on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Capaha Field.