Blue Rocks Slip Past Red Sox, 7-6
April 26, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release
Salem, VA (April 26, 2010) - Peter Hissey and Tim Federowicz each had three hits atop the Salem lineup, but Wilmington surged past the Sox in the middle innings and hung on for a 7-6 triumph on Monday evening at Lewis-Gale Field. With the wind howling out to left-center field all night long, outfielders played deep and the teams combined for 26 hits. In the end, Blue Rock closer Eric Basurto retired four straight Salem Sox in the heart of the order to end the game.
Salem starter Fabian Williamson got knocked around early, as Wilmington plated two runs on four hits in the first inning, but the Sox evened things up with two of their own in the last of the second. Ryan Dent drilled an RBI single to left to score Drew Hedman for the first run, and Dent later scored on Hissey's two-out double to the gap in left-center.
That was all Salem would get through the first five innings against Blue Rock starter Ivor Hodgson, who picked up his second win of the season for Wilmington. The Rocks reassumed the lead when a run came across in the fourth, then created some separation by scoring two more in the fifth and one each in the sixth and the seventh. Third-baseman Jason Taylor belted a leadoff homer off Jeremy Kehrt in the seventh inning. First baseman Eric Hosmer, who began the day as the league's leading hitter, went 3-4 with two doubles and a walk against Salem pitching and raised his average to a preposterous .446.
After being subdued by Hodgson through the fifth, Salem finally broke through again in the sixth. With two outs, Will Middlebrooks crushed a solo homer to left, his second dinger in as many days. Oscar Tejeda followed up the homer with a single and Hodgson walked Drew Hedman before giving way to reliever Buddy Baumann. Ryan Dent drew another walk to load the bases, and down 6-3, Alex Hassan took a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-4. But Hissey lined out sharply to left and the Sox left them loaded.
After Wilmington made it 7-4 on Taylor's homer, the Sox nipped it back to 7-5 when Ryan Lavarnway singled home Federowicz, who had led off the inning with his second double of the game. Lavarnway advanced as far as second, but was stranded in scoring position. An inning later, Salem crept even closer and made it 7-6 on Hissey's single that scored Hedman, but Rizzo popped up to end the inning, also leaving two runners aboard.
All together, Salem stranded nine runners in the game, six in the final four innings.
Wilmington brought their season record back to .500 with a win, improving to 9-9, while Salem slipped to 12-6, suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
The Sox and Rocks reunite on Tuesday evening as righthander Caleb Clay takes the mound for Salem against Chris Dwyer, a lefty for Wilmington. First pitch is set for 7:05 at Lewis-Gale Field.
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Carolina League Stories from April 26, 2010
- Blue Rocks Slip Past Red Sox, 7-6 - Salem Red Sox
- Montgomery Named CL Pitcher Of The Week Again - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Potomac Makes Roster Moves - Potomac Nationals
- Pelicans Make Roster Moves - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
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