Salem Sox Sweep Wednesday Doubleheader
April 21, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release
Salem, VA (April 21, 2010) - Salem's impressive start to 2010 continued on Wednesday as the Red Sox garnered both halves of a doubleheader against the Hillcats, winning the two games by a combined score of 14-4. Fabian Williamson and Mitch Herold combined to toss a one-hitter in game one, while Jeremy Kehrt struck out a Salem season-high eight batters in the nightcap to earn his first victory of the season. Offensively, Will Middlebrooks went a sterling 4-4 in the opener while also scoring twice and driving in a pair. Oscar Tejeda, Drew Hedman, and newcomer Luis Segovia each went 2-3 with an RBI to close out the evening. With the pair of victories, the Red Sox surge back into a first place tie with the Winston-Salem Dash, who have won eight straight games and also sit at 10-3 through 13 games this season.
In game one, Salem perpetuated a recurring trend of quickly falling behind before exploding offensively to run away with the game. The Hillcats used an infield single and two walks to load the bases with nobody out in the first against Williamson, yet came away with just one run. Their inability to capitalize on the opportunity haunted them down the road, and they generated just one more baserunner in the final six innings. Fabian Williamson became the first Carolina League pitcher to earn his third victory, improving to 3-0 with a miniscule 1.20 ERA. Herold struck out three over two perfect innings to close out the Red Sox rout.
Salem trailed for just a few minutes in game one, scoring two in the bottom of the first to assume an edge it would not relinquish. Tim Federowicz drilled an RBI double and Middlebrooks followed that with a go-ahead single. Still 2-1 into the third, the Sox took advantage of two Hillcat errors to score three more times on just one hit (a Middlebrooks single), a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Up 5-1 with Williamson cruising on the mound, Salem upped the lead to six when Mitch Dening connected on a two-run double in the last of the fifth. And the Sox really put it away thanks to Anthony Rizzo's RBI double in the sixth, a wall-ball that immediately preceded Middlebrooks' fourth hit of the game, an RBI single that plated Rizzo from second.
In game two, the Red Sox quirkily scored single runs in each of the first five innings. The Hillcats made four errors, all in the infield, and only two of Salem's five runs were earned. Tejeda, Hedman, and Segovia each delivered two singles and an RBI from the one, two, and nine positions in the batting order.
On the mound, Kehrt dazzled in his "spot start," striking out eight Hillcats over five innings in which he allowed just two runs (one earned). He struck out the side in the fourth and retired the final 12 batters he faced. In relief, Kyle Fernandes set down four in a row before the Hillcats scored once in the seventh on three singles. But Fernandes fielded a tapper off that bat of Miguel Rojas and fired to first to earn his first save of 2010 and wrap up the double triumph.
After a 5-2 road trip to start the season, Salem can make their first homestand a stellar 6-1 week if they can handle the Hillcats in the series finale on Thursday. The Red Sox send Caleb Clay to the mound against Lynchburg lefty Travis Webb. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 from Lewis-Gale Field.
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Carolina League Stories from April 21, 2010
- Salem Sox Sweep Wednesday Doubleheader - Salem Red Sox
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- Average Night At Harry Grove Stadium Costs Under Minor League Average - Frederick Keys
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Be a Part of Latin Family Weekend With the K-Tribe - Kinston Indians
- Salem Red Sox add Segovia from Greenville - Salem Red Sox
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