Nunez Secures Twin Bill Sweep in Grand Fashion
June 9, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Beloit Sky Carp News Release
BURLINGTON, IA - Renato Nunez drilled a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning, tuning a 7-4 deficit into an 8-7 lead, and the Beloit Snappers held on for a dramatic, spine-tingling victory over the Burlington Bees to complete a sweep of a Midwest League doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Community Field. Beloit squeaked by Burlington, 5-4, in the first game.
The Snappers boosted their record to 38-25 so far in 2013 and added to their lead in the Western Division wild card race. The Bees tumble to 23-35.
The top of the seventh began with Beloit in a three run hole and Jairo Diaz on the hill. Brett Vertigan led- off with a free pass and up next was Christopher Bostick, who followed suit with another walk. Bruce Maxwell then drew still another base on balls, bringing up Nunez as the go-ahead run. Burlington removed Diaz in favor of Garrett Baker (0-1), but Nunez was unfazed by the change and proceeded to strike the biggest blow of the afternoon with the Snappers third grand slam of the season and his 12th homer of 2013. Tucker Healy did what Diaz and Baker could not, sealing the win with a scoreless inning and earning his second save. Tyler Vail (2-2) was credited as the winning pitcher due to a pair of spotless innings.
Neither lineup wasted any time lighting up the scoreboard in game two, with the Snappers taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a single by Maxwell that pushed Bostick across and an RBI single by John Wooten. The Bees replied with four runs in the bottom half, two on a Wade Hinkle double and two more when Andrew Ray hit his fourth homer of the year.
Burlington's Anthony Bemboom broke out his home run trot in the fourth, as he went deep for the third time, a round-tripper that was good for three runs and made the score 7-2.
The Snappers used their power stroke to cut into that lead in the sixth. Matt Olson and Wooten hit back-to- back solo shots, the ninth of the year for both sluggers, making it a three run game. This turned out to be just a prelude to what happened an inning later.
Game one started with two scoreless frames, after which Beloit loaded the bases in the third and a single by Wooten tallied a pair. A Bostick sacrifice fly later in the inning scored Wooten and the Snappers moved in front, 3-0.
Aggressive baserunning by Ryan Delgado and Vertigan led to two more runs in the fourth. Delgado singled and stole second and Vertigan did the same, finishing Burlington's starting pitcher Reid Scoggins (1-4).
Delgado crossed the plate when the new pitcher, Kurt Spomer, uncorked a wild pitch and a Nunez singled plated Vertigan, stretching the Snappers' lead to 5-0.
The Bees immediately cut into the lead in their half of the fourth, as Ray doubled and scored on a Wendell Soto single against Beloit's Vince Voiro. They put up a second run one inning later off new pitcher Brent Powers (3-2) on a Michael Bolaski sacrifice fly.
The game went to the seventh with the Snappers' three-run margin still intact and Ryan Dull in to close the game, but Burlington wasn't going quietly. Soto quickly shaved the deficit to two with a solo homer, his second. The next two men were retired, but Hinkle then doubled and Bolaski singled and the Bees had suddenly closed to within 5-4. Dull, however, settled down, striking out Chevy Clarke for the final out and upping his 2013 save total to 11.
On Monday evening, Beloit will be trying for their second straight sweep with RHP Dakota Bacus (4-2, 4.30 ERA) taking the ball. Burlington will look to RHP Aaron Newcomb (1-4, 5.97 ERA) to salvage a win.
The scheduled start time is 6:30pm.
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Midwest League Stories from June 9, 2013
- Chiefs Run Away from River Bandits, 9-1 - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Westbrook Leads Chiefs to 9-1 Win Over Quad Cities - Peoria Chiefs
- Nunez Secures Twin Bill Sweep in Grand Fashion - Beloit Sky Carp
- Snappers Sneak Past Bees in Doubleheader - Burlington Bees
- Reaves Walk-Off Highlights Doubleheader Split - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Loons Blast Silver Hawks in 11-0 Win - Great Lakes Loons
- Osuna returns, helps Lugs split doubleheader - Lansing Lugnuts
- Kernels Top Kane County 8-4 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Rattlers rally to snap streak - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Kernels Beat Cougars, Even Series - Kane County Cougars
- Late Lead Blown; LumberKings Fall 11-9 - Clinton LumberKings
- Guerrieri Stifles Captains, Sends Hot Rods to Victory - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- TinCaps Win Season-Best Seventh Straight - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dragons Lose Late Lead, Fall 5-3 at Fort Wayne - Dayton Dragons
- Bowling Green Conquers Captains 9-1 - Lake County Captains
- Osuna Activated from DL - Lansing Lugnuts
- Beloit Beats Burlington 6-1 - Burlington Bees
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