SAL1 Hagerstown Suns

Suns Get a Victory in 14

Published on May 29, 2009 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release


HAGERSTOWN, MD -- It took 14 innings and a game-winning hit by a player with less than a week's service time with the team, but the Hagerstown Suns (21-24) finally snapped their six-game losing streak on Friday night with a 5-4 walk-off win over the Kannapolis Intimidators (23-25) at Municipal Stadium.

With two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning and left fielder Robby Jacobsen standing on second, Hagerstown designated hitter Charlie Fermaint stepped to the plate, mired in a one-for-17 slump since joining the team on May 24. Fermaint made Suns fans forget his troubles, however, with a sharply hit grounder up the middle that plated Jacobsen and sent his teammates pouring onto the field to surround him in celebration.

Fermaint's hit ended the longest game of Hagerstown's season at four hours and eight minutes, and saved them from a sweep at the hands of Kannapolis. It also secured a hard-earned victory for the Suns bullpen, which struggled throughout the series against the Intimidators, but combined to hurl seven and two-thirds innings on Friday night without allowing a single earned run.

Thirteen innings earlier, catcher Derek Norris had spurred Hagerstown on to a quick 1-0 lead with a solo shot over the wall in straight-away center, his 11th round-tripper of the season. After Kannapolis tied things up in the fourth, third baseman Steven Souza scored from second on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the catcher to put the Suns on top, 2-1, in the bottom of the sixth.

Hagerstown starter Terrence Engles ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing the tying run to score on a double by Intimidator John Curtis, and then watching the go-ahead runs come across on a throwing error by Souza.

Engles's teammates quickly took him off the hook in the bottom of the seventh, however, with shortstop Jose Lozada and Norris hitting safely to bring up first baseman Tyler Moore. Moore tied the game at four with a single to center, giving way to six and a half innings of scoreless baseball before Fermaint ended things in the 14th.

The 3-4-5 punch of Norris, Moore and Souza carried Hagerstown, accounting for ten of the Suns' 16 hits on the night. Norris and Moore each went three-for-six with a walk, while Souza had a season-high four hits and picked up a base-on-balls as well.

Relief pitcher Justin Phillabaum was another hero for Hagerstown, pitching the first four innings of bonus baseball without allowing a hit, while striking out six. Phillabaum gave way to fellow right-hander Chris Lugo (4-1) to open the fourteenth, and Lugo put himself in a tie with Engles for the team lead in wins after pitching a perfect inning of his own.

The Suns take to the road Saturday for the first of four games against the Hickory Crawdads, and will return to Municipal Stadium on Wednesday, June 3 at 7:05 p.m. for the start of a four-game set versus Lake County.

The Hagerstown Suns play at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, MD and are a Class "A" affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Ticket packages and sponsorships are available by calling the Suns at 301-791-6266. Visit the Suns on the web at www.hagerstownsuns.com. The Suns are owned by Los Angeles based Mandalay Baseball Properties. Fer

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 29, 2009


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