Rocks Let Late Lead Slip Away

Published on May 15, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release

Woodbridge, VA - The late-inning struggles for the Wilmington Blue Rocks resurfaced on Wednesday night at Pfitzner Stadium. The Blue Crew seemed poised to earn their fifth win in six games when they took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, but a five-run frame put Potomac ahead to stay, as Wilmington allowed the final seven runs of the contest in a 9-6 setback.

The Rocks used a pair of long balls to race out to their four-run edge. Parker Morin's two-run dinger in the fourth gave Wilmington a 3-2 advantage, which Jared Schlehuber padded in the sixth with a titanic three-run blast to right. The Rocks had an opportunity to salt the game away later in that frame. They loaded the bases with no outs, but a fielder's choice grounder and back-to-back strikeouts got Potomac out of the jam without further damage.

It all fell apart for Wilmington an inning later. Scott Alexander, who had tossed three scoreless innings to that point, hit the first batter of the inning and then allowed a double to Michael Taylor. Malcom Culver replaced Alexander and immediately allowed a run on a wild pitch. That seemed like it might be all Potomac would get though, as Culver got a soft fly to center, a strikeout and jumped ahead of Jason Martinson on a 1-2 count. Martinson came through however, sending a double off the wall in right.

Things snowballed from there. After a walk to Kevin Keyes, Caleb Ramsey brought the P-Nats within a single score with his RBI single to right. Adrian Sanchez then broke the Rocks' hearts, sending a two-run triple into the right-centerfield alley that gave the P-Nats a 7-6 lead.

Potomac padded the lead in the eighth. Robinson Yambati came out of the pen and allowed a one-out single to Taylor and then a moon-shot homer to left-center by Justin Miller.

The Rocks wrap up their three-game series in Potomac on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. Kyle Zimmer (0-2, 4.09) makes the start for Wilmington against P-Nats righty Taylor Hill (3-1, 2.21).

Carolina League Stories from May 15, 2013

• P-Nats Earn Largest Comeback Win of the Season - Potomac Nationals
• Rocks Let Late Lead Slip Away - Wilmington Blue Rocks
• Salem's Four-Run Seventh Dooms Carolina - Carolina Mudcats
• Pelicans Rock Dash, Set up Rubber Match - Winston-Salem Dash
• Salem Rallies Past Carolina 5-4 - Salem RidgeYaks
• Pelicans Plate Nine Runs in Third Inning, Top Dash 9-2 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
• Kubitza Blasts Walk-Off; Keys Fall to 'Cats, 3-2 - Frederick Keys
• Kubitza Hits Walk-Off Homer in Hillcats Win - Hill City Howlers
• Details on Thursday's Millionth Fan Sweepstakes Announced - Winston-Salem Dash
• Salem Red Sox Game Notes - Salem RidgeYaks
• Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (May 15 vs. Myrtle Beach) - Winston-Salem Dash
• TicketReturn.Com Field Is the Biggest Home Field Advantage in High A - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
• Pelicans Media Notes at Winston-Salem - 7 p.m. - Game 2 of 3 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
• Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers

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