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CarL1 Salem Red Sox

Salem Walks off on Butler's Slam

May 30, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release


Salem, VA - With the sun beating down at LewisGale Field and the Red Sox in danger of dropping their seventh straight, one swing from Dan Butler suddenly created a Memorial Day miracle.

On a 2-2 pitch from Matthew Frevert, Butler bashed a towering walk-off grand slam beyond the left-field wall, catapulting Salem to a 7-6 triumph over Lynchburg on Monday afternoon at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Butler's second homer of the day and second grand slam of the season snapped Salem's six-game losing streak overall and squelched the 12-game home losing skid at LewisGale Field. After not going deep in the first 29 days of May, Butler's sixth and seventh jacks of the season helped the Sox overcame a pair of three-run deficits to move back above .500 at 25-24. The undrafted catcher, who DH'd on Monday, finished with his second seven RBI game of the season, both having occurred against the Hillcats.

The first walk-off hit of Butler's career came after the Hillcats had scored three times with two outs in the top of the ninth off Salem reliever Kendal Volz, breaking a 3-3 tie to give Lynchburg a 6-3 advantage. Entering with the score knotted at three, Volz struck out the first two men he faced before surrendering four straight two-out hits to Andrelton Simmons, Phil Gosselin, Adam Milligan, and Joey Terdoslavich. Milligan's single put the Hillcats up 4-3, while Terdoslavich banged his third double of the game to make it 6-3.

All that came following Salem's first rally, as the Sox plated two in the sixth and one more in the eighth after trailing 3-0 through five. Butler launched a two-run bomb off Chris Masters to get the Red Sox on the board, then crushed an RBI double in the eighth to tie the game at three. Following Butler's double, the Red Sox had men at second and third with nobody out, but could not score again to take the lead, a missed opportunity that appeared like it would doom Salem when Lynchburg scored three in the ninth.

But after Peter Hissey popped up, four straight Red Sox reached and scored. Wilfred Pichardo doubled off the wall to provide the ninth-inning spark, and Kolbrin Vitek and Reynaldo Rodriguez both walked to load the bases with one away. Butler fouled off the first 2-2 offering and then obliterated the next pitch from Frevert, igniting a raucous celebration at home plate. Running down the third-base line, Butler tossed his helmet and dove into the mob of teammates surrounding the dish.

Salem barely prevailed despite receiving a season-high 11 walks from Hillcat pitchers. Zero of the first nine men who walked came across to score, but Vitek and Rodriguez drew free passes immediately before Butler's dinger in the ninth. The Hillcats issued multiple walks in four different innings.

The Red Sox were without a hit until Rodriguez doubled in the sixth, which directly preceded Butler's first round-tripper of the day. Two frames later, Vitek singles, moved to second on a walk to Rodriguez, and scored on Butler's double that tied the game.

With the exception of two walks in the first and three in the fifth, Salem did little against Masters in the first five innings, stranding all five men as the Hillcats took a 3-0 lead. Salem starter Drake Britton also struggled with command, walking five in four and two-thirds, surrendering a pair in the second and one more in the fifth. But Tom Ebert entered from the Salem pen and stabilized things, tossing three and a third scoreless innings to keep the Sox within striking distance. Volz gave up three runs in the top of the ninth, but still earned his second victory of the season, improving to 2-2 thanks to Butler's heroics.

Butler went 3-4 with seven RBI, while the rest of the Red Sox went 3-26. In the end, Salem emerged on top, winning its first one-run game since May 7, which also was the last time the Red Sox had won at LewisGale Field. Salem had dropped eight straight one-run contests before Monday's Memorial Day magic.

Salem will look to build on Monday's dramatic triumph on Tuesday night at 7:05 in game two of the four-day, two-city series. Pete Ruiz will make the start for the host Red Sox, while Matt Crim will toss for the visiting Hillcats.

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