CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Costly Errors Help Rocks Blow Five-Run Bulge

Published on August 27, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Salem, VA - Three different leads, including a 5-0 advantage, went by the wayside as the Wilmington Blue Rocks (61-69, 25-36) dropped an error-marred affair to the Salem Red Sox (59-73, 28-35) in 11 innings on Saturday night, 10-9. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak against Salem and has set up a Sunday rubber match. In blowing a five-run advantage, the Blue Crew tied for its largest lead lost of the season. The team turned the same trick at Kinston on July 22 in an 11-10 loss.

Reliever Bryan Paukovits (2-3) entered to begin the 11th inning with a 9-8 lead. Delaware native Derrik Gibson greeted him with a single to right-center. Heiker Meneses followed with a sacrifice bunt that Ryan Stovall charged and misfired to first. The miscue allowed the speedy Gibson to score while Meneses took third. With the infield in, Kolbrin Vitek grounded out to short and the Rocks intentionally walked Bryce Brentz.

Shannon Wilkerson then skied a ball to medium left-center where Carlo Testa made the catch, but his throw home kicked off the shoulder of a sliding Meneses and the glove of catcher Travis Jones at the plate for a walk-off sacrifice fly.

The Blue Rocks led 5-0 thanks to a five-run fourth against southpaw Drake Britton. Pulled homers by Stovall and Testa highlighted the barrage. But it would not take Salem long to recover. Starter Elisaul Pimentel gave up the first return run on Brentz's single over short in the bottom half of the inning. That proved the first of six unanswered scores by the Red Sox.

Reliever Dusty Odenbach inherited a four-run lead when he started the fifth, however, the Red Sox tied it up before the end of the frame. Vitek's two-run single drew his club within two and John Whittleman's two-run throwing error on a Brentz grounder tied things at 5-5. In the sixth, Josue Peley singled Petter Hissey home for Salem's first lead of the night, 6-5.

Wilmington would respond with a two-spot in the eighth against Jordan Flasher (2-0). Jones walked, Michael Liberto surprised the Sox with a bunt single and a wild pitch followed by a passed ball tied the game. With two outs, Testa put his club back on top, 7-6, as he singled Liberto in from third base. A fielding error by Brentz on a fly-ball to right by Stovall scored Nick Van Stratten for insurance in the ninth. It was a run the team needed.

Gary Cuevas walked two men in the ninth, both of whom scored. Gibson crossed on a groundout by Meneses and Vitek came plateward to work yet another deadlock when Jorge Padron doubled to left-center. Wilkerson entered as a pinch-runner, but was stranded. His entry though set the stage for his walk-off heroics in his only plate appearance of the night.

Stovall doubled Van Stratten home for a brief lead in the 11th. Alas, the Blue Rocks had men at second and third with one out after his shot to right and stranded both men.

The Blue Rocks' final road game of the season comes at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Wilmington right-hander Tyler Sample (7-12, 5.66) will face right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (4-5, 4.63). Broadcast coverage begins at 3:35 p.m. as studio host Adam Dobrowolski brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu.

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Carolina League Stories from August 27, 2011


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