SAL1 Lexington Legends

Legends rally, then hold off Hagerstown for 11-10 win

Published on July 3, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Lexington Legends News Release


Enrique Hernandez hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to break an 8-8 tie, and the Lexington Legends defeated the Hagerstown Suns 11-10 Saturday night in Hagerstown.

The Legends trailed 8-4 after six innings, but rallied with three runs in the seventh inning and four in the eighth, and then held off a late threat by the Suns to win.

After the start of the game was delayed for one hour and 22 minutes by rain, the Legends broke on top with three runs in the top of the first inning. A single by Hernandez, who had three hits in the game, and a double by Adam Bailey produced the first run. After Telvin Nash walked, Mike Kvasnicka grounded out, moving runners to second and third. Ben Heath's single scored Bailey, and Tyler Burnett singled to score Nash.

The Suns came back with two in the bottom of the first. Blake Kelso singled, advanced to third when a pickoff attempt got by Nash, the first baseman, for an error, and scored on Adrian Sanchez' sacrifice fly. Bryce Harper followed with a fly ball that fell for a double when center fielder Emilio King lost sight of the ball. David Freitas doubled to left to score Harper, cutting the Legends' lead to 3-2.

The Suns tied it in the fourth on a walk to Kevin Keyes, a one-out single by Sean Nicol, and a wild pitch by Lexington starter Mike Foltynewicz. Lexington went back in front 4-3 in the top of the fifth on Adam Bailey's solo home run, his 15th homer of the year and one of his three hits in the game.

Hagerstown took command with five runs in the bottom of the fifth off Legends reliever Murilo Gouvea. Harper singled, stole second, and went to third on a single by Freitas. Jason Martinson struck out, but Keyes singled, scoring Harper. After Brett Newsome singled to score Freitas with the go-ahead run, a wild pitch by Gouvea moved runners to second and third. Nicol's base hit scored Keyes and Newsome to put the Suns in front 7-4. Nicol stole second and came home on a base hit by Wade Moore, giving Hagerstown an 8-4 advantage.

The Legends began their comeback in the seventh against reliever Wilson Eusebio. King singled, but Bryce Lane hit into a force out at second. Ben Orloff followed with a single, sending Lane to second. After Hernandez grounded into another force play at second, Bailey singled up the middle to score Lane, and Nash followed with a double off the wall in center field, scoring Hernandez and Bailey and leaving the Legends down by a run, 8-7.

In the Lexington eighth, Burnett led off with a single, stole second, went to third on King's ground out to second base and scored on Lane's ground rule double to left field, tying the game at 8-8. Lane advanced to third on Orloff's single, and Hernandez followed with his first home run of the year, a line drive over the wall in right field to give the Legends an 11-8 lead.

The Suns scored one run in the eighth, another in the ninth, and had two men on with two outs when Adrian Sanchez popped out to Nash at first base to end the game.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 3, 2011


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