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Charleston RiverDogs

Murphy's 12th Inning Walk-Off Single Clinches Series For \'Claws

April 28, 2011 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


LAKEWOOD, N.J. - Jim Murphy spanked a 12th inning RBI single off Nathan Forer to send the Lakewood BlueClaws over the Charleston RiverDogs, 6-5, in South Atlantic League action Thursday night in front of a crowd of 3,479 fans at FirstEnergy Park.

Lakewood completed its comeback from an early four-run deficit by finally breaking through after the RiverDogs and BlueClaws bullpens had matched zeroes from innings eight through eleven.

Edgar Duran started the 12th with a line drive single to center field, and a fielding error compounded matters for Forer (1-2) to put runners at first and second with no outs. Forer was able to nail the lead runner at third on a failed bunt by Jeremy Barnes for the first out of the frame, but Murphy plugged the hole on the left side to score Geancarlo Mendez with the winning run.

Chase Johnson (2-0) breezed through the RiverDogs in order in the top of the 12th to garner the win, striking out one while maintaining his 0.00 ERA.

Charleston smacked five hits off Lakewood starter Colby Shreve over the first two innings, but ironically scored four second inning runs on a pair of errors and a walk.

Eduardo Sosa crossed the plate for the game's first tally when the BlueClaws shortstop, Duran, had an Anderson Feliz grounder tick off his glove. Ramon Flores pushed the lead to 2-0 a batter later, working his league-leading 16th walk of the year to score Jose Mojica. Barnes ran down a Gary Sanchez groundball in the hole on the right side to give Shreve a chance to mitigate the damage, but his throw was wild and chased home Slade Heathcott and Feliz, giving the RiverDogs a 4-0 advantage.

RiverDogs starter Shane Greene gave three of the runs back in the bottom of the frame, struggling with his command after quickly retiring the side in order in the first inning. Two walks and a passed ball put runners at second and third with nobody out for Aaron Altherr. The center fielder made Greene pay for his bout of wildness, drilling a double to left to slice the BlueClaws deficit in half. A Greene throwing error moved Altherr to third, allowing him to jog home and bring Lakewood within 4-3 on a RBI groundout by Anthony Hewitt.

Heathcott reignited the RiverDogs offense in the fourth to stake Greene to a 5-3 lead. The 2009 first round pick ripped an opposite field double and crossed to third on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Feliz. Shreve fanned Flores for the second out, but Sanchez came through with a clutch two-out base knock, driving in Heathcott with an infield single to shortstop.

Shreve failed to pitch through the fifth for a third consecutive start, lasting just 4.0 innings while allowing five runs (one earned). The right-hander issued three free passes and struck out four.

Although erratic, Greene gutted it out and gave Aaron Ledesma 5.0 solid innings, permitting three runs on three hits and four walks. The Daytona State College product hit his stride toward the end of the outing, striking out the side in the fourth en route to a career-high ten strikeouts.

Wilton Rodriguez came out of the Charleston bullpen to work a scoreless sixth, but Lakewood mounted a two-run rally to knot the score, 5-5, in the seventh.

Mendez delivered a double to left for the first score of the inning, sending Duran plateward all the way from first base. Another passed ball moved the tying run 90 feet away, and Barnes stroked a sacrifice fly to Sosa in right to score Mendez and take Shreve off the hook for the BlueClaws.

Danny Burawa handcuffed the BlueClaws bats to keep the score square in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings, striking out four while allowing just one hit.

Forer replaced Burawa and penned a 1-2-3 eleventh inning, but could not do the same in the twelfth as Lakewood ended the marathon - which began with an hour and a half rain delay - with its second walk-off win of the series.

The RiverDogs and BlueClaws meet in the finale of the extended five-game set Friday with a conventional 7:05 pm first pitch. Left-hander Nik Turley (1-1, 4.87 ERA) is expected to pitch for Charleston, versus fellow southpaw Ervis Manzanillo (0-1, 7.30) of Lakewood.

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