BlueClaws Hold off Suns Rally, Win 9-8

May 25, 2016 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws News Release

LAKEWOOD, NJ - Wilson Garcia had three hits and the BlueClaws held off a late Hagerstown rally to earn a 9-8 win over the Suns on Wednesday at FirstEnergy Park.

Jake Waguespack got the last eight outs, stranding two in the seventh and two in the ninth, to earn his first save. In the ninth, the Suns had two on and one out and Waguespack got Jakson Reetz to ground out before he struck out Ryan Ripken to end the game.

The win for the BlueClaws snapped a four-game losing streak and was their first in 11 games against Hagerstown this year. Lakewood improved to 17-28 on the year while the Suns fell to 28-17.

Lakewood, trailing 2-0 early, tied the game on a two-run double by Brendon Hayden in the second inning, before the Suns re-took the lead with two runs in the third.

Trailing 4-2, the BlueClaws got two runs in the third inning on a two-base error on Austin Davidson, who misplayed a pop-up by Jiandido Tromp, and tied the game at 4. The BlueClaws then scored five times in the fourth inning, two on RBI doubles by Wilson Garcia and Jan Hernandez, and three more on two Hagerstown errors, to go up 9-5.

Lakewood starter Luke Leftwich came out after five innings, allowing five runs, four earned, with four strikeouts. He leads the league with 56 strikeouts on the season.

Edgar Garcia came on for the sixth and after two BlueClaws errors, Garcia gave up a three-run home run to Austin Davidson, Davidson's second of the year, to slice the lead to 9-8.

Wilson Garcia had three hits and Hayden had two for Lakewood in the win

The BlueClaws now head to Delmarva for a four-game series that starts on Thursday night. RHP Harold Arauz (1-3) starts for Lakewood on Thursday against RHP Christian Alvarado (2-3).

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