CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Salem Blanked for First Time in 2013 in Nightcap

Published on June 14, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Salem, VA - Kyle Stroup tossed a complete game three-hitter in the opener, piloting the Red Sox to a 4-1 victory to begin Friday's twin-bill. But Mickey Pena, in his first start since April 16, could not replicate Stroup's dominance, and Salem fell 7-0 to Lynchburg in the second contest, giving the Sox and Hillcats their third doubleheader split in the past seven days. Keury De La Cruz was the offensive superstar for Salem, going 3-for-7 with hits in both games to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, while Robby Hefflinger was an incomparable force for Lynchburg, finishing 6-for-7 with two titanic homers for the Hillcats.

In game one, the Sox scored all four of their runs in the first three innings against Hillcats starter Ryan Weber, tagging him with the loss. Brandon Jacobs smacked an RBI double to get Salem on the board in the first, while David Renfroe delivered an RBI double in the second. Up 2-0, Bryan Johns followed with an RBI single to score Renfroe and make it 3-0. In the third, De La Cruz led off with a towering solo homer to left-center, his fourth round-tripper of the season.

Perhaps the early offense helped Stroup settle in, as the righthander tossed seven innings and struck out five, losing his shutout bid in the top of the seventh. Over 87 pitches, he permitted just two singles and one double. The win improved him to 4-4 on the year and let him surge into the All-Star Break on a roll, having gone 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA over his last four starts.

In game two, Jarrett Miller shut down the Sox in the run column, despite Salem's numerous opportunities. The Sox mustered baserunners in six of their seven innings, stranding nine in the game and going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. It was the first time this season that Salem was shutout, snapping a streak of 85 straight games with the Sox scoring at least one run, dating back to a 5-0 shutout at Wilmington on August 12, 2012.

Hefflinger led the Lynchburg offense with four hits in game two, including two massive homers off Mickey Pena. His two-run shot in the first gave the Hillcats an early edge, while his solo shot in the fifth was part of a four-run inning that boosted Lynchburg's lead to 7-0. David Rohm also went 2-for-4 and scored a couple runs for the visitors in the nightcap. Henry Ramos and Stefan Welch each recorded two hits in game two for Salem, but the Sox never capitalized and slipped to 31-36 on the year, ensuring a below .500 mark in the first half.

The Sox and Hillcats will meet three more times over the next two days, beginning with a single game on Saturday evening, starting at 6:05. On Sunday, the two squads will battle in another doubleheader beginning at 1:05. Saturday's starters are Mike Augliera for the Sox and Navery Moore for the Cats.

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Carolina League Stories from June 14, 2013


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