CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Six-Run Second Keys Wilmington Win

Published on May 12, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - Sloppy play helped lead to an early offensive onslaught by both teams, but it was the Wilmington Blue Rocks who benefited most as they scored eight unanswered runs on their way to an 8-5 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Wednesday night.

The Rocks actually spotted Lynchburg a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but proceeded to score the game's next eight runs. Six of those tallies came in a second inning that saw the Rocks send 11 batters to the plate.

Neither starting pitcher was on top of their game, but neither was able to boast that lady luck was on their side either.

Wilmington hurler Ivor Hodgson appeared to escape the first inning unscathed when he fanned Carlos Mendez with two outs and a runner on third. But when the ball got past catcher Ben Theriot, a run scored and the inning kept going. Two batters later Alex Bucholz smashed a grounder past a diving Jamie Romak at third and into the left-field corner which plated a pair and put the Hillcats on top by three.

Wilmington scored its own run on a wild pitch in the bottom half of the frame. Adrian Ortiz walked, went to second on Rey Navarro's sacrifice bunt, moved to third on Eric Hosmer's groundball out, and came home on Lynchburg pitcher Curtis Partch's wild pitch.

Things came unhinged for Partch in the second.

Wilmington loaded the bases with one out and then got a huge gift. Ortiz hit a routine grounder just to the left of Cody Puckett. The second baseman fielded the ball cleanly, but then appeared indecisive on whether to try and get the lead runner at second or the sure out at first. The result was an error and a run scored when he dropped the ball.

Navarro followed with an RBI fielder's choice, Hosmer then walked to reload the bases for utility man Anthony Seratelli. The third-year Blue Rock came through with the biggest hit of the night when his opposite field fly to left carried over the head of Kevyn Feiner and cleared the bases to put Wilmington on top 6-3. Jamar Walton plated the frame's final tally with his RBI single up the middle.

The Blue Crew added another run in the third. Fernando Garcia opened the frame with a bunt-single. Ortiz then tried to sacrifice, but an error by relief pitcher Andrew Bowman allowed him to reach safely. After Garcia was caught stealing, which moved Ortiz to second, the center fielder came around to score on Navarro's RBI single.

Harold Mozingo replaced an ineffective Hodgson in the fourth and appeared headed for the same kind of trouble. After allowing a walk and a single to begin the frame, Devin Mesoraco made it an 8-4 game with his run-scoring single, and Neftali Soto cut Wilmington's advantage to three with his RBI grounder to second.

But from there forward, the Wilmington bullpen shut the door. Mozingo worked two more scoreless frames to pick up his first career Advanced-A win.

He gave way to Patrick Keating in the seventh. The right-hander immediately began to mow through the Lynchburg offense. He surrendered only a single hit as he picked up his third save in as many tries this season.

Partch took the loss for the Hillcats. In 1.2 frames of work he surrendered seven runs, but only two of those were earned.

The Blue Rocks and Hillcats will face off again at Frawley Stadium on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. as the teams wrap up their four-game set. Southpaw Chris Dwyer (1-2, 3.77) takes the hill for the Rocks against Lynchburg right-hander Brad Boxberger (3-2, 2.20).

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Adrian Ortiz stole second and third base in the eighth inning, upping his Carolina League-leading total to 12 thefts on the season. Wilmington finished the night with four total stolen bases, as Eric Hosmer and Jamar Walton each added thefts. Hosmer, a first baseman, now has five stolen bases in five attempts this season.

The win allowed Wilmington to avoid falling a season-worst nine games under .500. They improved to 13-20 in 2010 with the win.

A win on Thursday would give the Rocks their first series win in five tries. Wilmington last won a series when it took two of three at Winston-Salem April 23-25.

Patrick Keating is now tied for the team-lead with three saves. He shares that mark with Barry Bowden. Keating has now tossed three scoreless innings in back-to-back appearances.

Check out the Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from May 12, 2010


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