'Burgers Have Final Say in Game Five, Walk-Off Emperors for Third Time this Series

Sports stats



SAL Rome Emperors

'Burgers Have Final Say in Game Five, Walk-Off Emperors for Third Time this Series

May 25, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Rome Emperors News Release


Rome Emperors on base
Rome Emperors on base
(Rome Emperors)

SPARTANBURG, SC - Scoreless for eleven innings Saturday afternoon, the Emperors and Spartanburgers both selected the twelfth as their breakout inning with Hub City picking up the bigger hit with the bases loaded.

The tenth and the eleventh saw both squads fail in their attempts to score the automatic runner placed at second base at the inception of the inning. Rome's staff succeeded in strategically loading the bases in the ninth and tenth innings to create force outs with less than two down. Isaac Gallegos and Ryan Bourassa picked up crucial strikeouts in those innings, leaving six on-base for the Spartanburgers.

With Will Verdung occupying second base as the automatic runner for the Emperors in the twelfth, E.J. Exposito's single to left field put runners at the corners with nobody out. Bryson Horne then went down swinging against Hub City's fifth pitcher of the afternoon, Josh Mollerus. The following at-bat, it was Mac Guscette clutching up again, lining a single into left field to finally break the 0-0 tie.

The Emperors pushed every chip to the middle of the table in the bottom half of the twelfth, entrusting LJ McDonough with potentially the last three outs of the game. A leadoff walk to Danyer Cueva and sac bunt from Keith Jones forced McDonough to intentionally walk Dylan Dreiling to get to Quincy Scott. Scott, who entered the game as a pinch runner in the ninth for Arturo Disla, sprayed a ball into the left center gap to bring home two runs and was showered in Powerade in the celebration thereafter.

Saturday's starters, DJ McCarty and Garrett Baumann, went pitch for pitch for the first five innings. McCarty struck out six, walked two, and surrendered three hits. Baumann matched his strikeout total, walked one, and surrendered four hits.

The loss puts Rome at .500 for the first time since April 19th. Meanwhile, Hub City's four-game win streak puts them in sole possession of first-place.

It's a 2:05PM ET first pitch from Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg on Sunday.

Check out the Rome Emperors Statistics




Images from this story

Rome Emperors on base
Rome Emperors on base
   



South Atlantic League Stories from May 25, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central