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CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Offensive Woes Continue In Walk-off Loss

May 6, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Frederick, MD - Leave runners on base with frequency, and the baseball gods often make you pay. Such was the case for the slumping Wilmington Blue Rocks (16-11) on Friday night in a 2-1 loss to the Frederick Keys (14-13) at Harry Grove Stadium. The Blue Crew went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, blew a narrow lead late and lost in walk-off fashion on a Brian Ward single. Frederick's fourth straight win has drawn the Keys within 2.0 games of the first-place Blue Rocks, who have dropped four of their last five.

John Whittleman began the second inning with a single and Tim Ferguson followed with a double to put a pair of Blue Rocks in scoring position with nobody out. Alas, the Rocks settled for a single score when with the bases loaded and two outs, Garabez Rosa errantly misplayed a grounder from Whit Merrifield as Whittleman scored. That run went unearned on starter Nathan Moreau.

Nick Francis doubled in the third, his team-leading 10th of the year. He stole third and Ferguson joined him on a two-out walk. Alex McClure then bashed a liner to center that was caught by Miguel Abreu to end the inning. The Blue Rocks left six men on base over the first three innings, but struggled to get men on base thereafter. From the McClure line out to the end of the game, Frederick pitching faced just one over the minimum including four perfect innings.

Wilmington starter Elisaul Pimentel left in line for the win after six scoreless innings of four-hit ball. Lefty reliever Kevin Chapman tossed a perfect seventh and began the eighth with a strikeout before Frederick manager Orlando Gomez made a move that proved fruitful. To avoid a lefty-lefty match-up, the second-year skipper pinch hit Bobby Stevens in place of Dale Mollenhauer. Stevens then lined a single through the left-side hole. Buck Britton's groundout to first allowed Stevens to take second and L.J. Hoes tied it up with a bloop single into right.

Ryan Dennick (1-1) entered in the ninth. The southpaw gave up a one-out single to Abreu who then stole second. After Jacob Julius struck out, Ward came through with his fifth RBI of the season when he stung a single into left for the dramatic finish. Frederick reliever Chris Petrini (1-0) got the win with two innings of one-hit ball.

The four-game set continues on Saturday night at 6 p.m. Right-hander Tim Melville (2-3, 5.33) starts for Wilmington against a fellow righty, Ryan O'Shea (2-1, 1.99). Broadcast coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. as studio host Adam Dobrowolski brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu.

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Carolina League Stories from May 6, 2011


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