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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Hosmer's Heroics Lift Wilmington to Win

May 10, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - The best player on the Wilmington Blue Rocks came up with the biggest hit on Monday night at Frawley Stadium. Eric Hosmer's double to left in the bottom of the 10th scored Adrian Ortiz and gave the Blue Crew a 6-5 walk-off win over the Lynchburg Hillcats. It was the Blue Crew's first extra-innings victory of the season.

Ortiz got the 10th inning rally going with a one-out bunt single. After Patrick Norris flew out to left, Hosmer stepped to the plate. The fifth-ranked prospect in the Kansas City system, according to Baseball America, entered the plate appearance hitless. But the man with the highest batting average an on-base percentage in the Carolina League, laced a slicing liner to left which Lynchburg outfielder Kyle Day charged hard after. Day decided to make a diving attempt at a catch.

He got leather on the ball but failed to corral it. When the ball bounced away from him, Ortiz was able to circle around and score the winning run.

The game went to the 10th only after the Blue Rocks bullpen failed to protect a two-run advantage in the ninth. Buddy Baumann, in his third inning on the hill, walked the frame's first two batters. That forced a move by Wilmington manager Brian Rupp, who called for his closer, Barry Bowden.

A passed ball by catcher Salvador Perez moved the runners into scoring position. One came home on Josh Fellhauer's grounder to second. The tying run then came across on Cody Puckett's sacrifice fly to deep right.

Bowden (1-1) overcame the blown save and finished the ninth. He then tossed a scoreless 10th to grab his first win of the year.

The series-opening victory for the Rocks saw the end of Wilmington's six-game home losing streak. The only negative was the blown save did take a win away from starter Manauris Baez.

Baez, who was making his first start of the season, allowed single tallies by Lynchburg in each of the first two frames. The southpaw also surrendered 10 hits over the course of his six-inning outing, but he kept Lynchburg off the board during the rest of his time on the mound.

Baez surrendered an RBI double to Carlos Mendez which put Lynchburg on the board in the first. He then loaded the bases with two away in the frame before inducing a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Day to escape the jam without further damage.

Miguel Rojas opened the second for Lynchburg with an infield single. He came around to score two outs later on Cody Puckett's RBI double.

From there Baez shut the door. He worked around a one-out double in the third, induced an inning-ending double play in the fourth, escaped a first and third jam in the fifth and finally worked his only 1-2-3 frame in the sixth.

At the plate Wilmington used the extra-base hit to its advantage on its way to a lead.

The Rocks got their first run in the second when Anthony Seratelli opened the frame with a double, and came around to score on Jamar Walton's bloop-single to left-center.

Then a couple of long balls put Wilmington in front. Perez opened the third inning with a solo homer to left. The catcher's fly ball bounced off the top of the wall in right before finally clearing the fence. Rey Navarro opened the fifth with a high majestic homer to left.

Wilmington kept the pressure on in the fifth when Perez reached on an error by Rojas at short. That was followed by a sun-scoring double to the left-center field gap by J.D. Alfaro, which put Wilmington on top, 4-2.

The teams traded runs in the eighth. Devin Mesoraco's one-out triple allowed him to score on University of Delaware product Alex Bucholz's sacrifice fly to right.

Wilmington responded with a score in the bottom of the frame. Ortiz led off with a hustle double to left, and then went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Norris. After Hosmer was intentionally walked, Jamie Romak plated Ortiz with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Rocks and Hillcats continue their four-game series on Tuesday night at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m., as right-hander Tim Melville (1-4, 10.48) gets the ball for Wilmington. Lynchburg is slated to counter with Scott Carroll (0-2, 2.65).

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Eric Hosmer drew an intentional walk with one out and a runner on third base in the eighth inning. That was Hosmer's fourth intentional free pass of the season. The entire Lynchburg Hillcats roster has two on the year.

Salvador Perez enjoyed a big night on his special day. The Wilmington catcher turned 20 on Monday, and celebrated with two runs scored and his second homer of the year.

Wilmington's meeting with Lynchburg was their first of the 2010 campaign. The Rocks have now faced every team in the Carolina League this season. It also marked the first time the Blue Crew faced the Hillcats since falling in Game Five of the 2009 NDCS.

Utility man Anthony Seratelli made his first start of the season at first base for Wilmington. The Rocks have now started four men at first in 2010.

Buddy Baumann had a rather odd final line to his night. Wilmington's left-handed reliever surrendered three runs on only one hit in his two-plus frames of work.

The win improved Wilmington's record in extra-inning games to 1-2. The Rocks have still not played a game that has gone longer than 10 frames.

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