CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Dramatic Finish Gives Salem First Victory

Published on April 10, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Salem, VA - After disappointing rain-outs on consecutive nights, the Salem Sox used a furious rally to avoid an ignominious doubleheader sweep, scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to garner the second game of the twin-bill and earn a split of the opening pair. Vladimir Frias' single to center scored pinch-runner Shannon Wilkerson from third base with two outs, propelling the Red Sox to a 5-4 walk-off win over the Frederick Keys. Two batters prior, Matt Spring's wall-ball double drove in the game-tying runs, setting the table for the victory celebration, and allowing the Sox to avenge a 7-2 setback at the hands of the Keys in the season opener.

Salem never led in the lid-lifter, but jumped on top in the second inning of game two when Spring and Derrik Gibson each authored RBI doubles. The 2-0 edge lasted only until the fifth, however, when Frederick DH Buck Britton slapped a three-run double down the left-field line to clear the bases and give the Keys a 4-2 advantage. Salem's offense had provided only seven total hits in the first 13 innings of the doubleheader, but delivered three timely knocks in the bottom of the seventh to trigger the comeback.

With one out, Michael Almanzar worked a walk against Josh Dowdy that brought the tying run to the plate. The next batter, Ronald Bermudez, scorched a double into left-center field, placing the tying tallies in scoring position. That's when Spring promptly hammered his second-double of the day, a laser-beam that struck the left-field fence two-thirds of the way up the 20-foot tall wall. Wilkerson pinch-ran for Spring, tagged up and moved to third on Gibson's fly-out to center, and scored on Frias' clutch sinking liner to center that ignited a celebratory frenzy on the infield at LewisGale Field.

The late-game surge made a winner of Cesar Cabral, who tossed one scoreless inning out of the Sox bullpen. Overall, the Red Sox relievers shined in the double-dip, pitching seven innings and surrendering just two hits and not a single run. Tom Ebert gave Salem three and two-thirds innings of no-hit pitching in the opener.

Salem's backstops were the backbones of the afternoon, as catchers Spring and Dan Butler combined to go 5-6 with five RBI and three extra-base hits. Although Salem dropped the opener, Butler went 3-3 with a solo HR, getting off to a dynamite start following his sensational 2010 season, in which he led the Red Sox minor leagues with a .310 average.

In the opener, Frederick scored in each of the first three innings against Salem starter Drake Britton, knocking the lefty out of the game after just two and a third innings. Keys shortstop Garabez Rosa smacked a two-run triple to give Frederick a 3-1 lead in the second, and DH Tyler Kolodny smashed a three-run homer off Britton to make it 7-1 in the third. Britton yielded seven runs (six earned) on seven hits, picking up two strikeouts along the way. In the nightcap, Pete Ruiz tossed three scoreless frames before giving up one run in the fourth and three more in the fifth, settling with a four-strikeout performance in four and two-thirds innings.

But Salem's bullpen picked up the slack with seven scoreless, and the mighty three-run rally in game two boosts Salem into the scheduled off-day with significant momentum.

Following Monday's idle evening, the Red Sox will return to LewisGale Field on Tuesday to continue the season opening homestand against the Lynchburg Hillcats, who now are affiliated with the Atlanta Braves. Salem righthander Chris Balcom-Miller will make his Carolina League debut against Hillcats righty Cory Rasmus, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

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Carolina League Stories from April 10, 2011


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