Kinston Scores Six in the Eighth to Beat the Blue Rocks 11-8
July 23, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Kinston Indians News Release
Kinston scored six, two-out runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, to come back and beat Wilmington 11-8 Saturday night at Historic Grainger Stadium. The first place K-Tribe (17-10, 55-41) secures a series win, taking the first two games of the series from the Blue Rocks. Kinston now leads the second half race in the Southern Division by three games over Myrtle Beach.
Kinston trailed 8-5 going into the bottom of the eighth inning. Things didn't look any brighter when the Indians first two batters were retired. Abner Abreu started the two-out rally with a single. Chase Burnette followed with a double. Tyler Cannon then cut the Blue Rock lead to one, driving both Burnette and Abreu home with a single. Justin Toole kept the rally going with a single, moving Cannon to third base. Tyler Holt then dropped down a squeeze bunt, scoring Cannon and tying the game at eight. A wild pitch by Blue Rocks pitcher Bryan Paukovits advanced Toole to third base and Holt to second. Casey Frawley walked to load the bases. Kinston took the lead when a sharply hit ground ball by Anthony Gallas was booted by Wilmington shortstop Kurt Mertins. The error gave Kinston a 10-8 lead. The Indians got an insurance run when Jeremie Tice singled to plate Frawley. It was the second straight night Kinston scored six runs in a single inning against Wilmington.
Toru Murata pitched a perfect ninth inning to get his second save of the season for Kinston. Trey Haley (1-0) got the win in relief. Bryan Paukovits (1-2) was stuck with the loss.
Blue Rock batters came out hot for a second straight night, as Wilmington's first four batters reached on hits. Kinston starting pitcher T.J. House used a double play to limit the damage, leaving the top of the first down 2-0. Kinston would answer in similar fashion in the bottom of the first inning, when the first three K-Tribe batters reached on hits. Holt started with a single and advanced to third on a single from Casey Frawley. Gallas would drive Holt home with a double off of the left-field wall. Frawley would then score on a ground-out from Tice. The Indians took a 3-2 lead when Abner Abreu drove in Gallas with an RBI single. House went four innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits. Francisco Jimenez gave up three runs on five hits over two innings for Kinston,.
Wilmington got the lead back with runs in the second and third innings. Kinston would tie the score at four when Gallas drove home Frawley with a second RBI double. Wilmington would take a 7-4 lead with three runs in the middle innings, before Abreu broke the scoring draught with his 12th home run of the season. Abreu went 3-for-4 with two RBI and now has seven hits in the first two games of the series. Holt, Frawley, Galas and Burnette each had two hits for Kinston.
Kinston ends the series and homestand with a Christmas in July Celebration Sunday afternoon at Historic Grainger Stadium. Santa will be on hand for the 1:30 pm start. Knuckleballer Steve Wright will be on the hill for Kinston.
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Carolina League Stories from July 23, 2011
- Masters Shuts Down Sox, 'Cats Avoid Sweep - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Four Homers, Six Unanswered Runs Not Enough in 9-8 Loss - Potomac Nationals
- Dash Hang on for Dramatic 9-8 Win - Winston-Salem Dash
- Kinston Scores Six in the Eighth to Beat the Blue Rocks 11-8 - Kinston Indians
- Improbable Two-Out Rally Stuns Blue Crew - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Pimentel Improves, But Salem Falls 7-3 - Salem Red Sox
- Haughian Shuts Down Pelicans - Frederick Keys
- Keys Blank Pelicans for Second Straight Night - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
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