SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Vechionacci's RBI double lifts RiverDogs to third straight victory

Published on July 30, 2006 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - Marcos Vechionacci's RBI double drove home pinch runner Estee Harris in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Charleston RiverDogs to a 2-1 victory over the Lexington Legends - Charleston's second win of the day and third straight -- in South Atlantic League action Sunday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The RiverDogs earlier walked away with a 5-1 victory in the completion of Saturday night's contest that was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning when rain drenched the Lowcountry with the score tied a 1.

With the pair of victories, Charleston improves to 56-51 overall and 18-19 in the second half, while the Legends slip to 57-49 overall and 13-24 in the second half.

In the second game that was scheduled to go seven innings, Ben Jones led off the ninth with a double to right off of Legends' reliever Sammy Gervacio (7-5) and Harris was called in to pinch-run for Jones.

With the first pitch he saw, Vechionacci ended the contest with a double, also to the right field gap.

Charleston took a slim 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI single to center by Eduardo Nunez, but Lexington came back to knot the score in the fourth when J.R. Towles singled home a run.

RiverDogs reliever R.J. Swindle (2-1) picked up the win in relief with four shutout frames, during which he scattered three hits and fanned one. He relieved starter Erick Abreu who went five full innings, allowed one run on four hits and whiffed four batters.

Vechionacci's game-winning hit was his third in the game and fourth on the day. Jones also had two hits in the second game.

Pedro Espinoza collected two hits to lead Lexington, which had seven total.

In continuing Saturday night's contest Sunday afternoon, Austin Jackson hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth that scored the go-ahead run, and the RiverDogs added their third tally when Eduardo Nunez scored on Legends catcher Jose Lopez's throwing error later in the same play.

Charleston added two more insurance runs in the seventh inning when Nunez delivered a 2-run single up the middle to finalize the score at 5-1.

Before the rains came Saturday, Lexington had taken a brief 1-0 lead in the fourth on Eli Iorg's solo home run down the left field line, but Charleston retaliated with a solo shot from Vechionacci, his fifth. With runners on second and third, the rain came and the contest was halted.

Jim Conroy (4-4) collected the victory for Charleston, as he entered when play resumed for starter Wilkins Arias and threw three shutout innings, permitting only one hit and fanning four batters. Starter Jake Hurry (0-1) suffered the loss for Lexington.

Jones and Nunez accounted for four of the RiverDogs' eight total hits while Towles, Iorg, Mitch Einertson and Lopez each had one knock for the Legends.

The final contest of this four-game series is set for Monday at 7:05 p.m. with Charleston sending southpaw Garrett Patterson (0-3, 4.96 ERA) while Lexington counters with righty Sean Walker (5-6, 4.26 ERA).

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 30, 2006


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