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CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Dash Walk off on Sierra's Sac Fly

July 6, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


WINSTON-SALEM, NC (JULY 6, 2011) - Luis Sierra homered to cap a five-run sixth inning, and in extra innings drove home the game-winning run with a walk-off sacrifice fly in Winston-Salem's 8-7 win over Myrtle Beach on Thursday night at BB&T Ballpark. The extra-inning affair was Winston's 15th of the season, the most in all of Minor League Baseball.

The Dash won on a controversial call in the bottom of the tenth inning. Sierra came up to bat with the bases loaded and hit a sinking line drive to center field. David Paisano caught the liner and threw home to try to nab the tagging Kyle Eveland. Myrtle catcher Zach Zaneski fielded the throw but appeared to miss the tag, just as Eveland slid across home to win the game.

Dash starter Joe Serafin skated out of trouble in the first three innings of the ballgame. Myrtle Beach had a runner at third with one out in the first, the bases loaded in the second, and runners at the corners with one out in the third but did not score.

Serafin wasn't as fortunate in the fourth inning. Santiago Chirino reached on an infield single with one out in the frame. Two batters later, Leury Garcia hit an infield single. He was the first of five straight Pelicans to reach base. Before Jared Prince hit, Garcia left the game with an apparent injury for Jared Bolden. Prince walked to load the bases, and Ryan Strausborger hit an infield single to drive in Chirino. Mitch Hilligoss, who earlier came in for Chris McGuiness, singled home two more runs before Zaneski walked. With the bases loaded, Travis Adair hit a deep drive to right field that Nick Ciolli robbed just before it cleared the short fence. Ciolli didn't flip over the fence like in last night's game, but did briefly leave his feet upon colliding with the fence.

The Grand Slam-saving catch by Ciolli kept the Myrtle Beach lead at three. But the Pelicans extended the lead in the sixth. Jared Prince reached on an error to lead off the inning and Strausborger hit a bunt single to put runners at first and second. Hilligoss grounded into a double play before Zaneski doubled in Prince to put Myrtle up 4-0.

Winston-Salem battled all the way back in the bottom of the inning against Pelicans reliever Kennil Gomez. Tyler Saladino and Jared Mitchell started with singles, and both scored on a double by Andy Wilkins. During Ian Gac's at-bat, Wilkins advanced to third on a passed ball. Gac struck out and Ciolli walked. Mike Blanke then drove home Wilkins after reaching on a fielder's choice. Sierra then homered to put the Dash on top 5-4.

Myrtle struck back in the seventh against Orlando Santos. Paisano doubled and scored on a single by Andres James.

The rollercoaster ballgame continued in the bottom of the seventh when Daniel Wagner hit an infield single to start and was retired when Saladino bunted into a fielder's choice. Mitchell followed with a triple to score the go-ahead run. Wilkins then grounded out to second base to score Mitchell and put the Dash up 7-5.

Taylor Thompson entered the game in the ninth to try to close it out and retired the first two batters. The next four hitters reached, plating the game-tying run. Bolden singled and scored on Prince's double. Prince came around to score on a single by Hilligoss.

The controversy followed in the bottom of the tenth. Gac singled with one out and moved to third when John Spatola hit a ground-rule double. The hit was in Spatola's first at-bat with the Dash. Blanke was intentionally walked by pitcher Joseph Ortiz. Eveland pinch ran for Gac at third. Sierra then hit a line drive to center field that Paisano caught, and Eveland tagged from third. Zaneski appeared to miss the tag and Eveland was called safe at home, securing the walk-off win.

Thompson was hit with a blown save, but also picked up the win in two innings of relief. Both runs he allowed were earned. Ortiz got the loss. Robbie Ross made his first start against Winston-Salem in 2011 and threw five scoreless innings but did not factor into the decision.

Winston-Salem and Myrtle Beach continue their three-game series on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at BB&T Ballpark. RHP Andre Rienzo (2-3, 3.44) will start for the Dash against LHP Miguel De Los Santos (0-1, 6.00).

The Winston-Salem Dash are the Class-A Advanced minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. To purchase tickets and for more information, please call 336-714-2287 or visit www.wsdash.com .

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