CarL1 Salem Red Sox

Frederick Prevails In Finale On Walk-Off Suicide Squeeze

June 14, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release


For the first time since the Red Sox returned to the Roanoke Valley, the Salem Sox blew a lead after eight innings and lost the game. Frederick overcame a 4-1 deficit with three in the ninth and then scored the winning run on a gutsy, yet perfectly executed suicide squeeze to prevail 5-4 and salvage a split of the four-game series at Harry Grove Stadium. Mitch Dening belted his first homer of the season and Fabian Williamson tossed five strong innings, but the bullpen gave up its first runs of the series as the Keys plated the final four runs off of Blake Maxwell to earn the dramatic comeback victory. Since the inception of the Salem Red Sox in 2009, Salem had been 88-0 when leading after eight innings, including 30-0 so far in 2010.

The ninth inning rally began when Billy Rowell lined an 0-2 pitch into right-center field for a leadoff double. Pinch-hitter Buck Britton walked to bring the tying run to the plate, and after Maxwell struck out Brian Ward, Xavier Avery doubled to make it 4-2 and send the potential tying runs to second and third. Kyle Hudson then delivered a clutch two-run single into center field to tie the game at four. Hudson advanced to second on the throw, but was stranded at second as Joe Mahoney grounded out and Ronny Welty's screaming line drive was snared on a game-saving catch by Red Sox first baseman Jon Hee.

Salem's Peter Hissey and Ryan Lavarnway teamed up for consecutive two-out singles in the top of the tenth, but both were left aboard when Jose Diaz struck out Oscar Tejeda on three pitches to quell the threat. Hissey (2-5) and Lavarnway (3-5) combined for five of Salem's seven hits in the game, and Tejeda finished 0-4 with three strikeouts to snap his hitting streak at ten games.

In the last of the tenth, a leadoff double from Greg Miclat suggested imminent danger. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third, and on a 3-1 pitch, Miclat broke home and Britton got the bunt down in between the plate and the mound. Salem had little chance to stop Miclat, who slid across the plate with Frederick's first lead of the night, ending the game and giving the Keys their seventh win in 11 games against the Red Sox in the first half.

Salem jumped out to an early lead in the first when Lavarnway picked up his league-leading 50th RBI of the season on a single that scored Dening, who walked to begin the game. In the second inning, Dening became the fifth member of the Red Sox in the last eight games to blast his first homer of the season. Dening joined Hissey (last Sunday), Drew Hedman (Thursday), Jorge Padron (Friday), and Jon Hee (Saturday) as Salem players who recently slugged their first round-trippers of 2010.

Up 3-1 in the sixth, the Sox could have put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Instead of a crooked number, they plated just one on Padron's sacrifice fly, stranding a pair and leaving the door slightly ajar.

Zach Hammes pitched around three walks by striking out four in two scoreless innings, and Lance McClain threw a scoreless eighth, but the normally-reliable Maxwell struggled and surrendered the tying and go-ahead runs, suffering his first loss of the season.

The Salem Sox trail first place Winston-Salem by three and a half games with six to play in the half, but all six of Salem's remaining games will be contested at Lewis-Gale Field. Following an off day on Monday, the Red Sox will host Wilmington for three games, beginning on Tuesday at 7:05. Stolmy Pimentel will make the start for the Sox, while Ivor Hodgson is expected to get the ball for the Blue Rocks.

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Carolina League Stories from June 14, 2010


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