CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Hassan Delivers Game-Winning Double

Published on June 7, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Salem, VA (June 7, 2010) - Down by two entering the bottom of the ninth, things didn't look good for the Salem Sox on Monday evening. However, the Sox led off the ninth with three consecutive singles and Alex Hassan doubled in Will Middlebrooks with one out for Salem's second walk-off win of the season. The Red Sox scored three times in their final at-bat for a 5-4 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats in front of 3,951 at Lewis-Gale Field. The walk-off extended Salem's winning streak to four games and inched the Sox to within four games of first place Winston-Salem with 12 games remaining in the first half.

Entering Monday's contest, Salem was 1-20 when trailing after eight innings and Lynchburg was a perfect 17-0 when leading after eight this year, but both trends were busted in a big way.

Trailing 4-2 and facing Hillcat closer Justin Freeman (1-2), Ryan Lavarnway singled off the left-center field wall to start the frame. Oscar Tejeda followed with a line drive single to right that advanced Lavarnway to third. Middlebrooks continued the singles parade with a ground ball to third baseman Alex Buchholz, who decided to throw to second base to get Tejeda, but was too late. Lavarnway scored on the play to make it 4-3. After Jorge Padron grounded out to first to advance the runners to second and third, Tim Federowicz grounded a ball to third that was stabbed by Buchholz who threw home, but the third baseman's toss was off target, as Tejeda slid home to tie the game at four. Hassan then capped the rally with a double to left that defensive replacement Kevyn Feiner bobbled on the ricochet, enabling Middlebrooks to chug around from second with the game-winning run.

Middlebrooks was the man of the night for Salem, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and the game-winning run. Salem never led until the game was over.

Lynchburg jumped on Salem starter Brock Huntzinger early for a run in the top of the first. Salem responded with three singles to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first, but the Sox could only to muster one on a sacrifice fly by Tejeda.

Kyle Day led off the third for Lynchburg with a triple and later scored on a sac fly by Cody Puckett to make it 2-1, but Salem tied the game at two in the fourth, as Middlebrooks jacked his fourth home run of the year to deep center field. The round-tripper was the first for the Sox third baseman since the fifth of May.

The Hillcats retook the lead in the sixth as Day drove in Carlos Mendez on a sac fly with the bases loaded, and Miguel Rojas singled off reliever Mike Lee to drive in Kevin Coddington and Lynchburg ahead 4-2.

Lavarnway contributed two hits in four trips to the dish on the night and Hassan's double was his lone hit in three at-bats. Lee picked up the win to improve to 4-3, as he went three and one-third innings in relief of Huntzinger, allowing just three hits with two strikeouts on the hill.

The Sox and ‘Cats continue their three-game series on Tuesday at 7:05, as Salem's Fabian Williamson will face Lynchburg's Curtis Partch.

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Carolina League Stories from June 7, 2010


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