Dash Can't Clinch Again; Rocks Win 7-4
June 20, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
WILMINGTON, DE (JUNE 20, 2010) - Wilmington again prevented the Dash from celebrating a division title as the Blue Rocks beat Winston-Salem 7-4 on Sunday afternoon at Frawley Stadium. The Rocks scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to blow open a one-run game and held off a Winston rally in the ninth to win the game and the series.
The Dash (43-27) entered the day needing either a win or a Salem loss to clinch the first half Southern Division title. Winston will await the result of the Red Sox' game with Kinston, which will determine whether the Dash is the first half champion. If Salem wins and the two teams finish the day tied, the division winner will be determined by a tiebreaker. The winner of the teams' first match-up of the second half will become the first half champion. Winston-Salem and Salem next meet next Sunday ay BB&T Ballpark.
Winston got off to a good start against Wilmington starter Ivor Hodgson (3-6). Brandon Short led off the game with a solo home run to right field, putting the Dash ahead 1-0.
The Blue Rocks (32-38) tied the game in the third on an Eric Hosmer RBI single and moved into the lead an inning later. Salvador Perez singled off Terry Doyle (2-3) and Jamar Walton followed with an RBI triple to give Wilmington the lead. Walton scored later in the frame on Adrian Ortiz' RBI single to make it 3-1 Rocks.
The Dash cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth when Luis Sierra hit an RBI double off Hodgson, scoring Ozzie Lewis from first base. Winston had a chance to tie or take the lead in the seventh, putting men on first and second with one out. But Drew Garcia hit into a double play to retire the side and end the threat.
In the eighth, the Dash loaded the bases with two down, but Harold Mozingo induced a Lewis groundout to keep it a 3-2 Blue Rocks lead.
While Winston's offense struggled, Wilmington capitalized off sloppy Dash pitching in the bottom of the eighth. Charlis Burdie walked four men over 1.2 innings and departed with two outs in the inning and men on second and third. Tyson Corley came in and gave up an RBI single to Patrick Norris to make it 4-2 Rocks. Two more runs scored later in the frame on Nick Francis' single and another came home on an error by Drew Garcia. The four-run eighth ballooned Wilmington's lead to 7-2.
The Dash picked up a pair in the ninth on runs batted in from Justin Greene and Brandon Short, but it proved to be too little, too late as Eduardo Escobar struck out swinging to end the ballgame.
Hodgsin picked up the win after allowing two runs on five hits in 7.1 innings. Doyle took the loss despite a quality start, giving up three runs (two earned) in six innings. Mozingo collected his first save.
Short and Lewis extended their hitting streaks to 11 and nine games, respectively, but Jon Gilmore went 0-4 to see his 19-game hit streak end.
Winston-Salem finished the first half 43-27, the team's best mark in the first half since it finished with the same mark in1991.
After three days off for the All-Star break, Winston-Salem will begin the second half of the season on Thursday at Frederick.
The Dash returns to BB&T Ballpark on Sunday, June 27 to start a six-game home stand with a series against the Salem Red Sox.
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Carolina League Stories from June 20, 2010
- Three-Run 8th Gives Pelicans Win in First Half Finale - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Dash Clinch First Half Title - Winston-Salem Dash
- Stellar First Half Ends in Loss - Frederick Keys
- Sour Sunday: Kinston Downs Salem 4-1 - Salem Red Sox
- K-Tribe Beats Salem 4-1 to End First Half - Kinston Indians
- Dash Can't Clinch Again; Rocks Win 7-4 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Hillcats End Half with Shutout Win - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Wilmington Spoils Winston's Weekend - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Unlucky P-Nats Drop First-Half Finale, 3-0 - Potomac Nationals
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Five-run third propels Frederick to 9-1 victory over Birds - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
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