ApL Kingsport Axmen

Burlington Takes Series with 10-5 Win

Published on August 5, 2016 under Appalachian League (ApL)
Kingsport Axmen News Release


KINGSPORT, Tenn.-The Burlington Royals scored a combined seven runs in the final three innings of play to break a 3-3 tie with the Kingsport Mets in the top of the seventh inning and cruised to a 10-5 win Friday night to take the series on the road.

Kingsport (15-27) has now dropped its last six series dating back to beating the Royals (25-16) in a best of three games in North Carolina three weeks ago. Burlington extends its Appalachian League-best record to nine games over the .500 mark while the K-Mets drop to a season-low 12 games under the line.

For the second-consecutive day, the Royals struck first and often. Nathan Esposito doubled in Jonathan McCray in the top of the second inning to put the first run on the scoreboard for the visitors.

Burlington's second run of the contest came in a rather unconventional way as Vance Vizcaino scored from third base on a throwing error from Dionis Rodriguez behind the plate. The oddness of the play relies in the fact that the throwing error came from when Rodriguez was trying to throw the ball back to Kingsport's starter Jordan Humphreys on the mound, in-between pitches during an at-bat.

The ball left Rodriguez's right hand and struck the back of McCray's bat, who was at the plate. The ball travelled off to the right and allowed Vizcaino to score from third base. Both Rodriguez and Humphreys asked for clarification on the ruling from home plate umpire Brandon Johnson, as did Manager Luis Rivera.

The conversation did not change the ruling, however, as the odd, incidental, play allowed the second run of the day to be scored for the Royals.

Later in the top of the fifth inning, Nicky Lopez drove in Jose Sanchez with a sacrifice fly to deep center field and the line read a 3-0 lead for Burlington midway through the fifth frame.

Kingsport would finally get some offensive going in the bottom of the fifth inning as Anthony Dimino led off the frame with a walk and then moved all the way to third base on a double from Ian Strom who followed immediately after. Both came into score the first runs of the ballgame for the home team two batters later when Ricardo Cespedes ripped a two-run single to center field.

A couple of batters later, Rodriguez would single in Cespedes to tie the game at three runs apiece after five innings of play.

The three runs in the frame would be all the offensive Kingsport could muster across home plate until the bottom of the ninth inning as Burlington exploded for seven runs in the final three innings of the ball game.

In the top of the seventh inning, Esposito would single to reach first and then moved to second base when an Adrian Almeida (0-1) pitch got away high and inside to the left-handed hitting Sanchez at the bottom of the Royal order. The pitch looked to have hit the batter flush in the face and caused a brief moment of panic throughout the ballpark.

Thankfully, Sanchez would get back on his feet and stay in the game after a short delay as trainers and coaches from both teams checked on the Burlington center fielder.

Following an ejection of Kingsport skipper Luis Rivera, Lopez sacrificed both base runners to second and third base to set the table for Kort Peterson with only one out in the frame. The right fielder then drove in Esposito from third base while moving Sanchez to third in the process.

Two batters later, Chris DeVito drove in both base runners with a two-run single to left field. The score was now 6-3 in favor of Burlington heading to the bottom of the seventh inning.

In the top of the eighth inning, both McCray and Esposito would score on a fielding error and fielder's choice and the Royals would cap off the scoring on the night with two more additional runs in the ninth inning off an RBI single from McCray and a sacrifice fly from Esposito. Both players drove in and scored a run in the final two innings of the night.

Down by seven runs heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, Kingsport tallied two runs off three hits to avenge the score to a final of 10-5 as Jose Miguel Medina drove in a run and Franklin Correa scored on a throwing error from DeVito at first base.

Though Kingsport was held in check for most of the night following the three-run bottom of the fifth inning, the club had its chances. The K-Mets loaded the bases in both the seventh and eighth innings, but failed to bring in a run. The squad also left two men on in the bottom of the ninth following the two-run frame.

Alex Close (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Cristian Castillo after tossing two scoreless innings of one-hit baseball. Castillo, who leads the Appalachian League in strikeouts, innings pitched and WHIP, lasted five innings while giving up three runs.

Almeida took the loss for Kingsport after yielding the tie ballgame with three hits and three earned runs in 1.1 innings of work. Humphreys, who started the contest for the K-Mets, pitched the first 5.2 innings to give up two earned runs in a seven-hit effort.

McCray tallied a career-night with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate with one RBI, a double and two runs scored. Esposito racked up three hits on the night as he, Peterson, Lopez and DeVito each drove in two runs apiece during the series win.

The first five hits of the contest for Burlington were doubles before McCray tallied a single in the top of the fourth inning.

Strom led all batters in Kingsport's lineup with two hits on the night with a double and a walk. Cespedes recorded two RBIs in the loss while Rodriguez and Medina each drove in a run apiece.

The K-Mets will try it again Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for Game 3 of the series at Hunter Wright Stadium. Gates to the park will begin opening at 6:00 p.m. and coverage on the Kingsport Mets Baseball Network will begin 15 minutes prior to first pitch with Eric Cain bringing you all of the action from behind the mic. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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Appalachian League Stories from August 5, 2016


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