D-Braves Win First Home Opener in Five Years
June 19, 2012 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Danville Otterbots News Release
DANVILLE, Va. - The Danville Braves defeated the Elizabethton Twins on Tuesday night 7-5 to win their first home opener in five years and take the first game of this three-game series at American Legion Post 325 Field.
Twins starting pitcher Hudson Boyd threw 26 pitches, issued two walks, and labored heavily in the first inning. The D-Braves loaded the bases, but Boyd was able to induce an inning-ending double play ball. In his first plate appearance of the year, C Nick De Santiago sent a single to shallow right. CF Felix Marte followed with a single of his own, but the ball was misplayed by RF Candido Pimenez, which allowed De Santiago to score all the way from first. A sac fly from 2B Levi Hyams scored Marte from third and capped a two-run second inning.
The Twins showed plenty of plate discipline in the third to cut the lead in half. Pimentel got things going with a single and a stolen base. D-Braves starter RHP Mauricio Cabrera grazed 2B Jorge Polanco to put him on base and Pimentel into scoring position. With runners at first and second, De Santiago couldn't dig a ball out of the dirt and the runners advanced. Cabrera issued his second walk of the inning to CF Max Kepler, which loaded the bases, and then walked-in 1B Rory Rhodes to give the Twins their first run of the game.
The D-Braves chased Boyd after three and padded their lead in the fourth by adding an insurance run. Marte laced a ball off the right field wall for extra bases and advanced to third on a defensive miscue by the Twins, their third of the night. With runners at the corners, Hyams hit his second sac fly of the game to make it 3-1.
After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning, the Twins tacked on another run. LF Romy Jimenez hit a comebacker to the pitcher who threw it away, which allowed Jimenez to move into scoring position. Polanco then hit a sac fly to plate Jimenez and make it 3-2.
In the seventh, DH Trenton Moses hit an RBI double to give the D-Braves a 4-2 lead. The Twins took their chances on Alcantara and pitched around him to get to De Santiago, which loaded the bases. De Santiago made them pay with a triple to center that scored Sanchez and Moses.
After going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, RF Blake Brown, the highest selection assigned to Danville (5th round, 179 overall), sent an eighth-inning Ruthian Blast over the left field wall. The bottom part of the Danville batting order was very productive. De Santiago, Marte, and Garcia combined for 6 of the teams 10 hits.
The Twins rallied for a pair of runs in their last at bats, but fell short of overcoming the deficit.
Cabrera was lifted in the fifth in favor of RHP Williams Perez. He pitched 4.0 strong innings and held Twins batters to just two hits against him. RHP Williams Perez pitched two stellar innings of scoreless relief to earn the win. Boyd (0-1) went 3.0 innings and surrendered two runs on four hits to suffer the loss.
In game two of this three-game series tomorrow, right-hander Eduardo Castillo will go against Ricardo Arevalo. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are still available. Fans can swing by the D-Braves Box Office at ALP 325 Field, go on-line at www.dbraves.com or call (434) 797-3792.
Appalachian League Stories from June 19, 2012
- Sox drop home opener, 7-2 - Bristol White Sox
- Mariners fall apart during the top of the 10th, lose 8-1 - Pulaski Mariners
- D-Braves Win First Home Opener in Five Years - Danville Otterbots
- Billy Wagner Appearance Cancelled - Pulaski Mariners
- Bristol White Sox announce movies at the ballpark - Bristol White Sox
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