CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Salem Earns Walk-Off Win in Suspended Game

Published on September 1, 2016 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


SALEM, Va. - The wacky nature of Wednesday's game spilled over to Thursday, with Salem earning a 9-8, 11-inning victory in the conclusion of a suspended game from LewisGale Field.

Steady rain forced a pause of action on Wednesday night, with the game tied at 7-7 through 10 frames. Winston-Salem (27-37, 55-79) plated a run almost immediately after play resumed. Zack Collins doubled on the first pitch of the top of the 11th, and he came around on a Toby Thomas single to center against Simon Mercedes (4-2).

Salem (41-24, 84-50), the best team in one-run games in Minor League Baseball, delivered a two-run rebuttal in the bottom of the 11th against Drew Hasler (1-1), who entered with a 1.37 High-A earned run average. Jose Sermo and Rafael Devers logged consecutive one-out singles, and Mike Meyers brought home both with a two-out single just beyond the reach of center fielder Michael Suiter.

As a result, the Red Sox improved to 33-11 in one-run games, far and away the best such mark in the Minors. On the flip side, Winston-Salem matched a Dash-era record (2009-present) for the largest lead relinquished in a loss. It was 7-0 Dash through three-and-a-half innings.

Before the suspension on Wednesday, the Dash and Red Sox played 10 innings, with Winston-Salem jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first with the use of just one hit. Salem starter Michael Kopech, who entered with a 1.23 earned run average in 10 High-A starts, walked the first five he faced.

With two outs the the Dash in front 2-0, Brett Austin launched a grand slam off the scoreboard in right-center field, his first professional grand slam and Winston's fourth of the season. Kopech, the Red Sox ace who had not given up more than two runs in a start this season, would exit after the Austin bomb.

Dash starter Tanner Banks gave up only two runs over seven innings, but he had to settle for a no-decision after the Red Sox plated one in the eight and four in the ninth to force extras. In the home half of the ninth, Sermo launched a three-run homer, and Meyers tied the game with a two-out RBI double.

Thursday's regularly-scheduled game will begin on time at 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage gets going at 6:50 p.m. on 600 AM-WSJS, wsjs.com and the TuneIn Radio App. Winston-Salem sends right-hander Zach Thompson (2-5, 6.00 ERA) to the mound against southpaw Trey Ball (8-5, 3.77 ERA).

Check out the Winston-Salem Dash Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from September 1, 2016


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