Spinners Falter in the Ninth, Rally for Win
August 24, 2014 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Lowell Spinners News Release
ABERDEEN, MD. - The Aberdeen IronBirds ruined eight strong innings from Aaron Wilkerson with one swing of the bat in the ninth inning, but the Lowell Spinners would not be deterred, scoring on a suicide squeeze play by Deiner Lopez to take a 3-2 lead for what would hold as the final, in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at Ripken Stadium.
Lowell (33-33) jumped out to an early lead with a pair of first inning runs. Deiner Lopez led off the game with a single and took second a on a wild pitch. After Lopez stole third with one out, Jordan Betts singled to give the Spinners a 1-0 lead. Aneudis Peralta followed with and infield single, with Steve Wilkerson's throw moving Betts to third. A wild pitch would plate Betts before the IronBirds got out of the inning with Lowell ahead, 2-0.
The score would remain there through four as Aaron Wilkerson retired the first 12 Aberdeen (22-44) batters he faced to run his scoreless innings streak to 17. However Boston native Jamil Moquete delivered a lead-off home run on the first pitch of the fifth inning to pull the IronBirds within a run. After Riley Palmer single followed, Wilkerson got the next three men in order to escape the frame.
Wilkerson cruised into the eighth, where he ran into a bit of trouble. After back-to-back singles led off the inning, the IronBirds sacrificed each into scoring position. Joe Oliver countered with an intentional walk to load the bases and Wilkerson rewarded the decision with back-to-back strikeouts to send the game to the ninth with the Spinners ahead, 2-1.
After eight fantastic innings from Wilkerson, and closer Carlos Pinales unavailable, Oliver went to Mario Alcantara to close out the game. After getting Moquette looking to start the inning, Palmer hit a drive that left not only the field of play, but Ripken Stadium entirely, evening the score at two.
Rather than sulk, the Spinners responded in the top half of the 10th inning, with a one-out single by Raymel Flores getting things started. After Flores took second on a third strike passed ball with David Sopilka at the plate, he stole third and came around to score when Lopez laid down a perfect squeeze bunt, the throw coming in high at first as the Spinners took a 3-2 lead.
After allowing the game-tying home run in the ninth, Alcantara recorded the first two outs of the 10th without issue and induced a fly to the warning track in right to preserve the win.
Wilkerson was the story for the Spinners, allowing just the one run on four hits and two walks (one intentional) over eight innings, striking out eight, lowering his ERA to 1.88 on the season. Alcantara (2-3, 9.00) suffered the blown save but also picked up the win, allowing the one run on two hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out one.
Lopez and Flores each had two hits to propel the Lowell offensive attack, with Lopez's RBI accounting for the game-winning run.
Lowell is now three games back of the Wild Card leading Brooklyn Cyclones, whose game was just underway as of writing. The Spinners are a game back of Connecticut, who trail the Cyclones by two.
The Spinners now head to Norwich where a three-game set with the Connecticut Tigers awaits. Reed Reilly (0-1, 4.75) gets the ball for the 7:05 first pitch.
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