CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Rain Delays, Then Blackout Halts Sox-Dash Finale

Published on June 7, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Salem, VA - As the classic baseball flick "Bull Durham" taught us, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains, and sometimes the lights go out." The final part of that quote might have been trimmed from the final cut for timing purposes, but the movie's message still rings true.

On Thursday night at LewisGale Field, the Sox and Dash experienced it all. Each team led. Each team trailed. A 55-minute rain delay paused the proceedings after the third. And when the lights went out around 9:30 PM with the score tied 3-3 in the last of the fifth, the baseball was suspended for the night, with the game being officially called shortly after 10 PM and the park still dark.

Winston-Salem (34-24) remained in first place by a half game over Salem (33-24), but considering that Thursday's matchup represented the final meeting of the half and it will not be made up, the Sox now hold the tiebreaker in the case that both clubs finish the first half with identical records. Salem beat Winston in five of nine meetings in the half, giving the Sox a small leg up as a result of Thursday's stoppage.

Just prior to the lights going out, Sean Coyle beat out a slow chopper to third for an RBI infield single that tied the game at three. The lumination vanished with Travis Shaw batting and the count at 2-2 with two outs in the last of the fifth.

Previously, the Sox took a 1-0 lead on Brandon Jacob's two-out RBI single in the first against Dash starter Jake Petricka. In the second, Jackie Bradley, Jr. pounded a two-out RBI single to bring home Felix Sanchez and make it 2-0.

In the top of the third, however, Winston countered with three runs on two hits, a hit-batter, and two errors against Sox starter Ryan Pressly. The Dash led 3-2 after three innings, and with Pressly 61 pitches deep and warming up for the fourth, the sky opened up and the umpires called for the tarp.

The delay began shortly after 8 PM and lasted for 55 minutes, with the action resuming couple minutes before 9 PM. Charle Rosario tossed two scoreless innings out of the Red Sox bullpen, while Coyle's two-out RBI single against Kyle Bellamy in the fifth evened the score at three. But then the lights went out, and in terms of discovering a winner, all were left in the dark.

Both the Red Sox and Dash are leaving LewisGale Field to play two games on Friday. Salem ventures north to Woodbridge for a doubleheader against Potomac, while Winston returns home for a quasi-doubleheader against Wilmington, resuming a suspended game from earlier this season before competing in the regularly scheduled contest.

Salem's twin-bill at Pfitzner Stadium will commence at 6:05 with Keith Couch opposing Robbie Ray in game one. Manny Rivera will tangle with Bobby Hansen, Jr. in game two.

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Carolina League Stories from June 7, 2012


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