Danville Drops Series Opener to Elizabethton
July 15, 2015 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Danville Otterbots News Release
DANVILLE, VA- The D-Braves got the early lead, but fall in the late innings, as one run games continue to hurt the Braves. Ray Didder and Luke Dykstra both extended their respective hitting streaks, Didder now 10 games, and Dykstra has hit in nine consecutive games. Braves Starter Patrick Weigel went four innings, giving up three hits and two runs. Weigel also recorded a career high in strikeouts with seven in his no decision outing.
Danville scored first in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Right fielder Jose Morel singled to his counter-part to lead things off for the D-Braves. Short stop Kurt Hoekstra then laced a double into left-center field and put himself and Morel in scoring position for catcher Carlos Martinez. Martinez would then send a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Morel to put the Braves out in front 1-0.
Elizabethton would answer back in the top of the third inning with a run of their own to tie the game back at 1-1. The lead-off batter, short stop Manual Guzman, was called out when he stepped on home plate attempting to bunt for a hit. Right fielder Kamran Young would then tripled to center field to put the pressure on the Braves defense early. University of Maryland graduate and Twins center fielder, Lamonte Wade, drove home Young on a RBI single to center tying the game at 1-1 heading into the bottom half of the third inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, the D-Braves would retake the lead on a pair of hits and a throwing error. Left fielder Leudys Baez singled up the middle, and would later steal second to advance into scoring position. Braves hot hitting designated hitter, Carlos Castro, would then reach base on a throwing error by Twins short stop Guzman setting the plate for Morel to get the go ahead RBI. Morel would send a broken bat single to right field to score Baez on the play.
The Twins would answer back, however, with runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-1 lead at the time. In the fourth inning, Braves pitcher, Patrick Weigel, would surrender a walk to the lead-off batter of the inning for the Twins, AJ Murray. Twins catcher, Rainis Silva, would then single to right center field as Murray would advance to third base. Weigel would then hurt his own cause as he would throw a wild pitch that would score Murray to tie the game at 2-2 after four innings. Elizabethton added their second run in as many innings in the fifth after Guzman was hit home on the sacrifice fly by Wade.
Danville would tie things up at 3-3 in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Dykstra would walk to lead things off for the D-Braves in the fifth inning, Morel would later single to put runners in scoring position yet again as Dykstra moved to third base on the Morel single. Martinez would add another RBI to his total of two for the night on a single to left field that scored Dykstra.
The score would remain dead locked at 3-3 all the way until the top of the ninth inning. The Twins would push across the winning run on Wade's third RBI of the night, this time on a RBI double that scored Guzman. The Braves had a chance in the bottom of the ninth inning as Dykstra would single to left field after Baez struck out to lead off the ninth for the D-Braves. The next batter Carlos Castro, would then ground into the game ending double play and extending the Braves losing streak to three games.
Danville will look to even the series at 1-1 tomorrow as right hander Josh Graham will take the mound for the Braves. Graham will be opposed by Twins starter, right hander Miles Nordgen. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. and it is also Thirsty Thursday presented by Buffalo Wild Wings. Draft beer and fountain sodas will be discounted through the seventh inning of the contest.
Appalachian League Stories from July 15, 2015
- Rays Win 8-3 - Princeton WhistlePigs
- Three Pitchers Combine for 5-0 Astros Win - Greeneville Astros
- Danville Drops Series Opener to Elizabethton - Danville Otterbots
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