CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Watts' Walk-Off Hit Beat Blue Rocks

Published on July 7, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Lynchburg, VA - The scary thing is it could have been worse, a lot worse. Make it four losses in five games for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (42-38, 4-7), as they dropped a 3-2 walk-off decision in Lynchburg against the first-half champion Hillcats on Tuesday night. Carolina League All-Star Kris Watts came off the bench to deliver the game-winner, a run-scoring double in the bottom of the ninth inning against closer Juan Abreu (3-2). The Blue Rocks' end-game man owes both of his losses to the Hillkitties, each coming in walk-off fashion. The one-run contest might have been uglier had the Hillcats utilized their baserunners. Lynchburg left an eye-popping 16 men on base, 10 in scoring position and three times left the bases loaded. Yet, the narrow nipping seems to salt the wound even worse for a Wilmington team that now shares last place with Lynchburg.

Starter Danny Duffy failed to get out of the fourth inning for the third straight start. He endured seven full counts among his 19 batters faced, but allowed only one unearned run. Catcher Eric Fryer reached on an Anthony Seratelli throwing error to begin the second inning. A wild pitch gave Fryer second and the recently demoted Jamie Romak singled him to third. Eddie Prasch then hit a fly ball to deep enough center field to sacrifice Fryer home. Later in the same inning though, with the bases loaded, Duffy struck out Alex Presley to end the frame.

Johnny Giavotella doubled to begin the second and took third on a Mike Moustakas infield hit to short. Starter Jeff Locke picked off Moustakas but Giavotella scored from third during the rundown to equalize the game.

The 20-year-old Duffy labored again in the bottom half of the inning and got the hook after a full-count walk of Chase d'Arnaud to load the bases with two outs. Reliever Zach Peterson entered and inherited a bases-loaded situation for the fourth time in six outings as a Blue Rock. Since it is old hat, the right-hander induced another inning-ending out from Presley, this time a fly-ball out to left. Duffy went 3.2 innings, allowing the one unearned run on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts and two wild pitches.

Jamar Walton gave the Blue Rocks a short-lived lead in the sixth when he drew a bases-loaded walk that meant the end of the night for Locke. Former Blue Rock Paul Mildren muted any further damage with a fly-ball out to left off the bat of Antonio Jimenez.

The Hillcats evened the game at 2-2 in the bottom half of the sixth when Jose De Los Santos hit a lead-off triple and scored on a Peterson wild pitch. The Blue Crew sought to repeat the feat with an Adrian Ortiz one-out triple in the seventh. But reliever Harrison Bishop not only failed to issue a wild pitch, he struck out the side to strand Ortiz. Bishop whiffed five over two scoreless innings before R.J. Rodriguez (5-2) logged a perfect ninth. In the home half, Romak and Prasch reached on back-to-back one-out singles to set the stage for Watts' walk-off blow to right.

The three-game series continues on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Wilmington right-hander Alex Caldera (1-7, 6.59) will face fellow righty Bryan Morris (2-2, 4.30). Caldera enters with five straight losses.

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Carolina League Stories from July 7, 2009


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