Puppets Sock-Off Bluefield
June 21, 2021 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Burlington Sock Puppets News Release
BURLINGTON, N.C. -- Burlington sent fans home happy on Father's day with a Sock-Off extra-inning win at home on a sac fly to center field from Alex Haba. The contest was the scheduled 7-inning game that all Appalachian League teams play on Sundays, but it took a little longer to decide the outcome of this Father's Day contest. The Ridge Runners got things started in the first inning against Puppets starter Holden Phelps in the top of the first inning, with RBI hits from Lawson Harrill and Brayden Jobert to take a 2-0 lead. Burlington came roaring back in the bottom of the first to tie the game. Alex Haba led off with a double, and scored on an Oscar Serratos groundout to cut the lead in half. Phelps recorded a 1-2-3 second inning before giving up three runs in the third inning. That would be the last inning for Phelps. He ended the day going three full innings, giving up five runs, and striking out three.
Tiernan Lynch came on in relief of Phelps in the fourth and pitched a 1-2-3 inning before Puppets designated hitter Marshall Raper came in to score on an odd sequence of plays in the bottom half. With shortstop D'Andre Smith in the box, an errant pickoff attempt at first by Bluefield pitcher Ben Kovel into foul ground allowed Raper to take two bases and stand at third. With Smith still in the right-handed batters box, Kovel threw a pitch out of reach of Ridge Runner catcher Eric Grintz, and Raper came in to score, making it a 5-2 tally in favor of Bluefield.
Lynch pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, before Burlington came to the plate in the bottom half with runs on the brain. Isaiah Winikur singled to left, bringing up the red hot Alex Haba, who jolted a ball down the line in left and over the wall to bring the game to within a run at 5-4.
Looking to initiate rally mode in the bottom half of the seventh in their last half inning of the regulation contest, the Puppets came through to send the game to extras when Alex Haba reached first after an errant throw on a ground ball from Bluefield third baseman Brayden Jobert, and came around to score on a single from Bayron "Ace" Acevedo.
Beginning extras in the eighth inning, the designated runner was placed on second base for the Ridge Runners, and he came around to score on a single from catcher Eric Grintz to pull ahead 6-5. Burlington countered with a double from Ben Smith to score designated runner Isaiah Winikur and tie the game 6-6 in the bottom of the inning.
In the second extra inning of the night, designated runners were placed at all three bases to start the inning. The runners were the three outs preceding the batter. Burlington pitcher Peter Gallo was faced with a tall task, with the bases loaded and no one out for the Ridge Runners in the top of the ninth. He responded by striking out Janieel Berroa and getting Tervell Johnson to ground into a double play to end the inning unscathed.
In the bottom half of the ninth, runners were placed at every bag for the Puppets, where Alex Haba came through again, hitting a sacrifice fly to center and walking it off for the Puppets. Haba finished the day 2-for-4 with 3 runs and 3RBI.
With the walk-off win, the Puppets improve to 6-9 and Bluefield falls to 6-9 on the season. After an off day Monday, the Elizabethton River Riders come to Burlington for a two-game series beginning Tuesday night at 7PM.
Appalachian League Stories from June 21, 2021
- River Riders Swept in Home Finale, Fall to State Liners 12-3 - Elizabethton River Riders
- Puppets Sock-Off Bluefield - Burlington Sock Puppets
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