Azocar's Walk-Off Double Gives BeerMongers a 7-6 Win over Lynchburg

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CarL Salem Red Sox

Azocar's Walk-Off Double Gives BeerMongers a 7-6 Win over Lynchburg

June 5, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Salem Red Sox News Release


SALEM, Va. - The Salem BeerMongers (22-30) watched a lead slip away late but walked it off in style, as Enddy Azocar delivered a game-winning double to stun the Lynchburg Hillcats (32-22), 7-6, on Thursday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Luis Cohen made his fifth start of the season for the BeerMongers and ran into trouble early. A one-out walk to Welbyn Francisca set up Luis Merejo, who broke Lynchburg's 0-for-19 skid with runners in scoring position with an RBI double. The Hillcats took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Salem responded quickly in the bottom half. Justin Gonzales led off with a single, followed by Yoeilin Cespedes ripping a double to left to bring him home. Andruw Musett added another run on an error and a wild pitch made it 3-1. Natanael Yuten capped off the four-run frame with an RBI double to center.

Both sides went scoreless in the second and third innings before Salem added another run in the fourth. Musett picked up his second RBI of the night, doubling home Yohander Linarez to make it 5-1 off the Lynchburg bullpen.

Cohen returned for the fifth but gave up an RBI single to Nick Mitchell and a run-scoring groundout to Merejo, trimming the lead to 5-3. He exited after 5.0 innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out three. Jay Allmer came on in relief and made quick work of the sixth with a 1-2-3 inning.

Cespedes stayed hot with his second extra-base hit of the night, an opposite-field double off Jervis Alfaro to score Karim Ayubi in the bottom of the sixth and extend Salem's lead to 6-3.

Allmer tossed a clean seventh, setting up lefty Manuel Medina six outs away from the save.

Medina retired the first two batters of the eighth before running into trouble with the bottom of Lynchburg's order. Yaikel Mijares singled, Jose Pirela was hit by a pitch, and Alberto Mendez walked to load the bases full for Tommy Hawke.

Hawke, the Hillcats' leadoff man and team leader in hits, came up clutch. After a six-pitch battle, he laced a bases-clearing double down the left field line to tie the game at 6-6. It was Hawke's fourth hit of the night and it came in a clutch time.

The game stayed even heading into the ninth, but Lynchburg threatened again. A two-out single from Bennett Thompson and a walk to Ryan Cesarini put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Salem manager Ozzie Chavez called to the bullpen, bringing in southpaw Nicolas De La Cruz. On just five pitches, De La Cruz induced a groundout from Mijares to escape the jam.

In the bottom of the ninth, Hillcats reliever Eudry Alcantara retired the first two batters before Musett, down 1-2 in the count, battled back to slap a grounder down the third base line for an infield single.

That set the stage for 18-year-old Enddy Azocar.

Azocar was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts entering the at-bat but came through in the clutch. On a 1-0 fastball, he rolled a grounder past third base into left field. Musett got the wave from Chavez at third and slid in safely ahead of the throw from Pirela to Mendez to Thompson, capping a dramatic walk-off win for Salem.

It marked the second time this series Azocar has played hero, and the second walk-off win of the season for the Salem Sox.

With the win, Salem takes a 2-1 lead in the series. The Battle of 460 continues Friday night at 6:35 p.m. at Carilion Clinic Field. Southpaws Devin Futrell and Melkis Hernandez are scheduled to start for Salem and Lynchburg, respectively.

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