ApL Burlington Sock Puppets

Ridings' Gem Leads Royals to Victory

August 25, 2011 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Burlington Sock Puppets News Release


Burlington, NC- A season after he was recovering from Tommy John Surgery, Burlington Royals' right-hander Matt Ridings helped lead his team to victory, 7-2, in Burlington on Thursday night. Ridings was perfect through five innings, and allowed two hits in the sixth, but no runs, earning his third win of the year. The Royals snapped their three game losing streak, and have won three of four against the Greeneville Astros this season.

The first hit of the game belonged to Jorge Bonifacio of Burlington, who tripled to center field with one out in the second inning. He would end up stranded as the next two batters would ground out. Ridings continued to cruise through the Greeneville lineup, and in the fourth got support from his offense. Justin Trapp led off with a walk, and when Jose Rodriguez bounced a ball up the middle, it went off the glove of Josh Magee, who was charged with an error as Rodriguez reached first safely. The next batter, Murray Watts, doubled to right, scoring both runners and ending his three game hit-less streak.

In the Royals' next at bat, they would add the eventual game winning run. Steven Brooks would open the inning against Luis Ordosgoitti, just out of the bullpen. The Burlington designated hitter was hit by a pitch and awarded first base to open the frame. The next batter, Lane Adams, singled to left, with Brooks moving up to third base. The throw to try and catch the advancing base runner allowed Adams to move up to second, putting both men in scoring position with no outs. Ordosgoitti struck out Trapp, who went down on strikes four times in the contest, but allowed a fly out from Rodriguez that was deep enough to score Brooks from third and give the home team a 3-0 advantage.

In the top of the sixth, after retiring the first 15 batters of the game, Ridings allowed a single to Darwin Rivera. The next two batters would fly out before Josh Magee singled. With two on and two outs, the Tennessee native, Ridings, struck out Chan Moon to end the Greeneville half. In the bottom of the inning, the Royals' offense broadened the gap when Jin-Ho Shin led off with his third home run of the season. In the seventh inning, the Astros would break the shutout off of reliever Andy Ferguson. Ariel Ovando doubled with two outs, and scored on a single from Ernesto Genoves. The next two batters singled loaded the bases. With the tying run on first base, Jose Monzon grounded out back to Ferguson who flipped to Watts at first to end the threat.

Burlington's offense would answer in the home half of the inning. Adams led off with a single, and then stole second base with Trapp at the plate. After Trapp was called out on strikes, Rodriguez doubled to the opposite field, sending the ball down the line in left, and scoring Adams. A sacrifice fly from Jesse Wierzbicki in the eighth made it a 5-2 game, but the Royals would put it out of reach.

In what would be their final at bat, Burlington tallied two runs, one from an RBI single from Anthony Howard, and one from a sacrifice fly from Adams, to go on to the 7-2 victory.

Greeneville starter Christopher Lee allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits in four innings while striking out five. The 2011 fourth round draft pick takes his fourth loss of the season, falling to 1-4. As the only reliever used by manager Omar Lopez, Ordosgoitti surrendered five runs on six hits while fanning six Royals in his four innings of work.

After three straight starts where he allowed at least three earned runs, Ridings was on his game. The Appalachian League pitcher of the week from August 8th, he struck out six batters over six innings of two-hit ball. Former Arkansas State Wolverine Ferguson earned his first save, throwing three innings, and allowing two runs on six hits.

At the plate for the Astros, Magee went 2-for-4, with two singles and a run scored, while Darwin Rivera also singled twice for a two hit night. Ariel Ovando was 1-for-4 with a double, and scored the visitors' other run.

Burlington's offense was paced by Adams, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Going deep for his only hit of the night was Shin, who scored twice, once on his third homer of the season. Watts and Rodriguez each knocked in two runs, with Rodriguez going 1-for-2 after entering the game for Michael Antonio in the third. 2011 free agent signee Brooks singled in the eighth, extending his hitting streak to four games, and he has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games and 10 of his last 11.

The Royals and Astros will take the field on Friday night at Burlington Athletic Stadium, as Burlington will look for their first winning streak since beating the Elizabethton Twins on July 24th and 25th. Nick Graffeo is the scheduled starter in the second game of the series, scheduled for 7:00.

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