Higashioka's Walkoff RBI Single Silences Braves, 6-5
June 5, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release
CHARLESTON, SC - Kyle Higashioka ripped a game-winning RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Charleston RiverDogs a 6-5 victory over the Rome Braves in front 4,961 fans in South Atlantic League action at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park Saturday night.
With the victory, Charleston improves to 25-31, while Rome falls to 24-32.
With a 5-5 score, J.R. Murphy reached on an error to start the ninth, and then moved to second on Emerson Landoni's sacrifice bunt. After Luke Murton was intentionally walked, Zoilo Almonte struck out to bring up Higashioka, who drilled the walkoff shot off Jeff Lorick (1-1) barely inside the left-field line to plate Murphy for the win.
Ryan Flannery (4-2) earned his second victory of the homestand, both of which have come in walkoff victories. The New Jersey native hummed 2.0 scoreless innings, stranding two men on base in the eighth and working a 1-2-3 ninth.
Rome started quickly against Kelvin Perez, as Mycal Jones cracked his sixth home run of the year to give the Braves a 3-0 lead.
Charleston answered in the third with a pair of runs against southpaw Chris Masters. Murphy doubled off the left-field scoreboard to bring home Slade Heathcott, while Murton's RBI double cut the lead to 3-2.
Jace Whitmer and Osman Marval contributed back-to-back RBI in a two-run fifth in lengthening the Rome margin to 5-2.
In the bottom half, Murphy hit his second RBI double of the game trimming the game to 5-3. DeAngelo Mack smacked a run-scoring double in the sixth for a 5-4 score, while Almonte hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh to tie the affair at 5-5.
Perez took a no-decision for the RiverDogs, allowing five runs on eight hits over 6.0 innings of work with two walks and five punchouts. Masters, who ranked second in the SAL with a 1.42 ERA, gave up a season-high four earned runs in 5.1 innings while walking a season-high four batters and sinking five.
Heathcott went 3-for-4 with two runs and his first stolen base for Charleston, while Murphy had two doubles for his third straight multi-hit game. Rob Lyerly also posted his second multi-hit effort in a row going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Game two of the four-game series is set for Sunday with a first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Charleston sends left-hander Josh Romanski (0-1, 18.00) to the mound, while Rome counters with right-hander Robinson Lopez (2-2, 3.09).
South Atlantic League Stories from June 5, 2010
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- Jackets Fall 14-4 in Series Opener With Drive - Augusta GreenJackets
- Drive Rout GreenJackets, 14-4, Behind 15 Hits - Greenville Drive
- Suns Blank Shorebirds 7-0 In Series Opener - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Legends survive scare in ninth to beat Hickory, 7-5 - Lexington Legends
- Suns Shutout Shorebirds 7-0 - Hagerstown Suns
- Higashioka's Walkoff RBI Single Silences Braves, 6-5 - Charleston RiverDogs
- BlueClaws win over Greensboro - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Gnats and Intimidators Postponed Saturday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Intimidators/Sand Gnats Postponed - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Watkins Placed on DL, Gil Transferred to Charleston - Charleston RiverDogs
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