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CarL1 Salem Red Sox

Persichina's Pop Powers Dash Past Sox 4-3

August 27, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release


Salem, VA (August 27, 2009) - After three days of missed opportunities, the visitors finally cashed in with a clutch hit. Joe Persichina's third professional home run, a three-run blast off Armando Zerpa in the eighth inning, gave Winston-Salem a 4-3 lead that they would not relinquish as the Dash salvaged the final game of the four-game series with the Red Sox. The win keeps Winston ahead of Salem in the Southern Division standings, separating the two teams by a game and half. With Kinston's 5-2 victory over Frederick, the Red Sox fall back into a tie with the Indians for the final playoff spot with 12 games remaining in the season.

Stephen Fife rebounded from his roughest start as a pro last Friday in Woodbridge and tossed six superb innings, with the only run for Winston being an unearned tally in the third. Fife scattered six hits and one walk, striking out five while receiving a no decision. The performance netted Fife his third Carolina League quality start, but all three of them have resulted in no decisions for the righthander.

Salem trailed 1-0 as Dash starter Jacob Rasner retired eight of the first nine batters he faced to start the game, facing the minimum through the first three innings. But the Red Sox offense clicked in the bottom of the fourth. Five of the first six hitters in the inning connected for base hits, but Tim Federowicz, batting third after singles from Che-Hsuan Lin and Jon Hee, grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. With Lin at third at two down, Brad Correll's RBI single tied it up at one. Correll moved over to third when Anthony Rizzo promptly doubled down the right field line, and Chih-Hsien Chiang continued his hitting with a double off the wall in left that plated a pair to give Salem a 3-1 lead.

Incredible, after compiling five hits in the fourth inning, Salem proceeded to go hitless the rest of the way. Hee reached on an error in the sixth inning and moved to second on Rizzo's two out walk, but Chiang grounded to the mound to end the threat. Rasner earned the win with seven strong innings, improving to 4-5. In relief, Santo Luis retired all six batters he faced and strike out the side in the ninth to hand Salem the loss.

Persichina finished 7-12 in the series and punctuated his performance with the game-changing three-run jack off Zerpa in the top of the eighth. Zerpa struggled with command issues, hitting Logan Johnson on the shoulder and yielding a single to Justin Greene. On a 3-1 pitch, Persichina drove the offering over the wall in right field to transform a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Zerpa was tagged with the loss, falling to 1-3.

The Red Sox continue the home stretch with a doubleheader against the Wilmington Blue Rocks beginning at 5:35 on Friday night. Wilmington arrives in a pennant-race of their own, currently leading the Northern Division by two and a half games over Potomac after their four-game sweep of Lynchburg. The Red Sox will have Seth Garrison squaring off with Danny Gutierrez in game one, while Jose Capellan will tangle with Mario Santiago in game two. Both contests will be seven-innings and gates at Lewis-Gale Field will open at 5:00 PM.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Due to a scheduling conflict with Redskins preseason football, Friday's doubleheader will be heard exclusively on the internet at www.salemsox.com and www.milb.com. The Salem Sox will be back on their Flagship Station "NewsTalk 960 WFIR" on Saturday night.

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Carolina League Stories from August 27, 2009


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