Morel powers Dash past Pelicans in regular season finale
September 7, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
Myrtle Beach, SC - Brent Morel finished with three hits, including a three-run home run to lift Winston-Salem over Myrtle Beach 7-2 in the regular season finale on Monday night at BB&T Coastal Field. The Winston-Salem Dash finished the regular season with a 73-65 record and tied for first place in the second-half with Salem at 35-35. The Dash won the first-half title outright by going 38-30.
The Dash will open the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday night at Wake Forest Baseball Park against the Salem Red Sox, who defeated Lynchburg earlier in the day to clinch the wild card berth playoff berth. Salem is expected to start major-league pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka while Winston-Salem will turn to LHP Justin Edwards in game one. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Dash took advantage of the windy and rainy conditions to plate a run in the first inning. Dale Mollenhauer lifted a fly ball to left field that a gust of wind carried past Adam Milligan. Mollenhauer reached second base on what was ruled an error. One out later, Salvador Sanchez delivered an RBI ground out to put Winston-Salem in front 1-0. The lead evaporated quickly as Donell Linares launched a solo home run in the bottom of the first to knot the score at one.
Following a 36-minute rain delay in the third inning, the Pelicans took their first lead at 2-1 when Michael Fisher led off the bottom of the frame with a double and score on a single by Linares.
Winston-Salem countered with two runs in the top of the fourth inning as Tyler Kuhn contributed a run-scoring ground out and Joe Persichina added a two-out RBI single for a 3-2 lead. The Dash added a run in the top of the sixth when Justin Green led off with a single and stole second. John Curtis lined a run-scoring double down the right field line to stretch the lead to two.
Morel, who finished with three hits and a triple short of the cycle, broke the game open in the top of the seventh inning when he blasted a three-run home run of Benino Pruneda to give Winston-Salem a 7-2 lead. The Dash bullpen would make the lead stand as four relievers combined to work five scoreless innings and allowed just four hits with seven strikeouts.
Charlis Burdie (4-1) tossed two scoreless frames and danced out of a bases-loaded, no out jam in the sixth inning to earn the win. Jay Chapman (1-2) allowed two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings out of the Pelicans bullpen to suffer the loss.
Carolina League Stories from September 7, 2009
- Morel's Homer Puts Finale Out Of Reach For Pelicans - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Salem Strides To Playoffs with 6-5 Comeback Win - Salem Red Sox
- Morel powers Dash past Pelicans in regular season finale - Winston-Salem Dash
- Red Sox clinch playoff berth, Game 3 to be held in Salem Friday - Salem Red Sox
- Hannah's benefit a smashing success - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Salem tops Cats in series finale - Lynchburg Hillcats
- P-Nats Plate Eight Late to K.O. K-Tribe - Potomac Nationals
- Rocks Close Regular Season in Style with Win - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- K-Tribe Season Comes To An End With a 9-4 Loss at Potomac - Kinston Indians
- Keys Shutout in Finale - Frederick Keys
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
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