Hillcats Salvage Finale over Sox, 6-2
June 9, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release
Salem, VA (June 9, 2010)- Alex Buchholz launched a two-run home run in the top of the first and Salem's late inning magic finally ran out, as the Lynchburg Hillcats defeated the Red Sox 6-2 on Wednesday night at Lewis-Gale Field to salvage the series finale. The loss snapped Salem's winning streak at five games and walk-off victory streak at two.
Buchholz drilled his second home run of the series, and fifth of the season, just inside the left field foul pole to give the Cats an early 2-0 lead that they would not relinquish. Miguel Rojas and Josh Fellhauer led off the third inning with back-to-back doubles off Sox starter Caleb Clay to extend the lead to 3-0. After a two-out walk to Buchholz, Kevin Coddington reached on a throwing error by Will Middlebrooks that scored both Fellhauer and Buchholz to extend the Hillcat lead to 5-0 through two-and-a-half.
Salem had multiple opportunities to get back into the contest, but the Sox couldn't find the clutch hit they had come up with the two previous nights. Mitch Dening scored both Salem runs, the first of which came on a sacrifice fly by Oscar Tejeda in the fourth after Dening had tripled to lead off the frame to make it 5-1. The Sox had a chance to put another run on the board in the frame, but Ryan Lavarnway was thrown out attempting to score from second on a Tim Federowicz single.
The Hillcats regained their five-run advantage in the seventh as Carlos Mendez singled in Cody Puckett, who had doubled with one out in the inning to make it 6-1 Cats.
The Sox had runners at first and second with one out in the seventh against Lynchburg starter Brad Boxberger, but the Hillcat right-hander struck out Drew Hedman and forced Ryan Dent to ground out into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Boxberger (4-5) exited after seven fantastic innings to a bullpen that had been shaky at best in the series. In the eighth, Middlebrooks doubled in Dening with one out, but was stranded along with Lavarnway and Tejeda, as Donnie Joseph came on to strike out Jorge Padron and Federowicz to end the threat.
It appeared as though the Lewis-Gale faithful were in for a third consecutive night of late-inning magic as the Sox again had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, but Dening grounded into a 4-3 double play to seal the victory for Lynchburg.
Salem starter Caleb Clay (2-4) entered the game having allowed just three walks all year, but walked three Hillcat batters in five innings on the mound. The right-hander allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits. Cesar Cabral allowed a run in his two innings of work, while Zach Hammes pitched a perfect two innings of relief.
Dening and Padron both recorded multi-hit games for the Sox, with the two hits by Padron accounting for his first two hits in the Carolina League. Tejeda drove in both Salem runs on the night.
The Sox head out of town for a brief four-game road trip against the Frederick Keys before returning home for six games to end the first half. First pitch from Harry Grove Stadium Thursday night is scheduled for 7:00, as Stolmy Pimentel returns to the mound for Salem against Frederick's Nathan Nery.
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