SAL1 Hagerstown Suns

Seesaw Battle in Lexington Swings Towards Legends

Published on September 3, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release


The Hagerstown Suns (28-38, 64-72) and Lexington Legends (33-32, 68-67) played through five lead changes on Thursday night at Applebee's Park in the Game 4 finale that was captured by the Legends 8-6.

Both clubs scored on run in the first frame as Suns RF Destin Hood sliced a single to center field scoring LF JP Ramirez, who doubled. The Legends answered with an RBI single by 1B Kody Hinze to left, bringing in 2B Jimmy Paredes, who drew a leadoff walk.

In the second stanza, the Suns grabbed two more runs courtesy of a double down the right field chalk off the stick of C Sandy Leon summoning home 2B Mills Rogers, who singled, followed by an RBI groundout by SS Rick Hague that brought in Leon.

Lexington would tie the score in the last of the third using a pair of solo home runs off the bats of Paredes and RF Jacob Goebbert. For Paredes, a line drive shot over the left center field fence was his second blast since putting on a Legends uniform. Goebbert's looping homer onto the right field porch was number ten on the campaign.

Hagerstown hitters would jump back on top with two runs in the fourth thanks to three consecutive two-base hits. Leon hit his second double to the corner in right, then an RBI double by CF Eury Perez to left center scored Leon, and another run producing double by Hague to dead center would plate Perez to give the Suns a 5-3 lead.

The Legends stole one back in the bottom of the sixth stanza when Paredes lashed an RBI one-base knock to left center scoring LF Brian Kemp, who was hit by a pitch, to get Lexington within one run.

Suns LHP Mitchell Clegg left with the lead and went 5.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, while walking two.

Legends RHP Tanner Bushue was knocked around to the tune of five earned runs on ten hits. Bushue walked three and struck out four.

Both starters did not factor into the decision.

After stretch time in the last of the seventh, the Legends garnered their first lead of the game when RHP Luis Garcia (4-4), the losing pitcher of record, gave up two earned runs. 3B Jonathan Meyer lined an RBI single to left center scoring SS Jiovanni Mier, who was a walk recipient. Then, C Roberto Pena, in his first game with the Legends, rocketed a double into the alleyway in left that allowed Hinze to touch home giving Lexington a 6-5 advantage.

The Suns would tie the game for the fourth time in the top of the eighth inning off RHP Kirk Clark (5-2), the eventual winning pitcher, as a sacrifice fly by 3B Justino Cuevas to center waved in DH Adrian Nieto, who got a leadoff base-on-balls.

With the game knotted at 6-6 in the last of the eighth, off LHP Josh Smoker, the Legends got a sac fly from Goebbert to center narrowly allowing the speedy CF Grant Hogue to come home. The Legends tacked on one run of insurance with another RBI single by Meyer to left center to put the Legends up 8-6.

Clark hit one in the ninth, but induced a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Rogers to end the ballgame.

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South Atlantic League Stories from September 3, 2010


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