23 Inning Game, Longest in CL History, Goes to Kinston 3-2
June 12, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Kinston Indians News Release
In the longest game in the 66 year history of the Carolina League, it took 23 innings for Kinston to walk off with a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon/evening at Historic Grainger Stadium. Casey Frawley hit the run scoring single to plate Roberto Perez and end the 6 1/2 hour affair. Down to their last out, Myrtle Beach tied the score at two, with a hit from Mitch Hilligoss (who was down to last strike) in the top of the ninth inning.
In the 36,601 games played in the Carolina League, no game has surpassed the 21 inning mark. Wilmington beat Danville 3-2 in 21 innings on July 5th 1998. The game featured 15 pitchers, while 27 different players had a plate appearance.
The Pelicans got to Kinston starter Brett Brach in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Strausborger led off the inning with a walk. A ground out got Strausborger to third base. With two outs in the inning, Strausborger scored on a wild pitch. Carolina League strikeout leader Joe Wieland kept Kinston scoreless through the first four innings, until Roberto Perez led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home runs. The big shot to left field was his first of the season. The home run tied the score at one.
Both starting pitchers would not figure in the decision as both were pulled after six innings. Brach went six innings, giving up one run on three hits. He walked two and struck out three. Wieland struck out nine batters, giving up one run on four hits. He did not walk a batter.
With Myrtle Beach reliever Kennill Gomez on the mound, Perez played the role of hero again. With two outs in the inning Perez hit a double. Justin Toole then banged a single to center to score Perez and give Kinston a 2-1 lead. Perez is hitting over .435 in his last ten games.
Kinston handed a one run lead to Preston Guilmet in the top of the ninth inning. David Paisano and Santiago Chirino delivered back-to-back singles with one out. After pinch hitter Jared Hoying lined out to right field, Paisano tagged and went to third. Leury Garcia then walked to load the bases. Hilligoss was down to his last strike when he put a grounder through the left side of the infield to plate Paisano and tie the game at two. On the play Tyler Holt threw out Santiago Charino at home to keep the game tied. It was the first blown save in 15 tries for Guilmet.
The next 13 innings provided back and forth drama, with the true heroes being from both bullpens. Jose Flores, Francisco Jimenez, Tyler Sturdevant, Kyle Landis and Chris Jones combined for 14 innings of shutout baseball. The five gave up a total of five hits. Jimenez went a season high five innings, giving up two hits while striking out eight.
In the bottom of the 23rd inning, with Pelicans reliever Kasey Kiker on the mound, Roberto Perez led off with a single. Toole then delivered a sacrifice bunt to advance Perez to second base. After a Chase Burnette ground out got Perez to third base, Frawley delivered the run scoring single. Perez went 3-for-4 on the night with three runs scored.
Chris Jones (2-0) got the win for Kinston, Kiker (1-2) took the loss. Kinston left 21 men on base, Myrtle Beach stranded 16 as the Pelicans went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
The homestand continues as the Salem Sox come to Kinston for four games in three days Monday through Wednesday. The series begins with a double header on Monday. Game time 4:30 pm at Historic Grainger Stadium. Game one pitcher is T.J. House, game two pitcher is Clayton Cook.
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Carolina League Stories from June 12, 2011
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- Longest Carolina League Game Ends in Tribe Walk-Off - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
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