Three-run seventh seals winning homestand

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (June 3, 2017) - Thanks to a three-run seventh that broke a 2-2 tie, the Dash outlasted the Wilmington Blue Rocks 5-2 on Saturday afternoon in front of 6,972 fans at BB&T Ballpark to secure a winning homestand.
Landon Lassiter started the deciding frame with a leadoff double against Blue Rocks starter A.J. Puckett (5-4). After Jake Fincher moved Lassiter to third on a sacrifice bunt, Danny Mendick delivered the go-ahead blow with an RBI single to left. In his last four games, Mendick has registered eight hits in 14 at-bats.

Matt Tenuta promptly replaced Puckett, and Zack Collins greeted the left-handed reliever with a two-run blast to the concourse beyond the right field wall to put the Dash (19-37) up three. The backstop leads the team with eight home runs this season.
Jack Charleston locked down his third save of the year by tossing two hitless innings. The 24-year-old is a perfect three-for-three in save opportunities since being placed on the Winston-Salem roster from Extended Spring Training in early May.
In the victory, the Dash received another strong start from Zach Thompson. The right-hander yielded just one run and eight hits in six innings of work, while tying a season-high with five strikeouts. The former UT-Arlington Maverick has allowed just two earned runs in his last 17 innings pitched, equating to a 1.06 ERA.
Neither team budged an inch until the Blue Rocks (28-27) broke a scoreless tie in the sixth. Leading off the frame, Brandon Downes smacked a solo homer to left to give Wilmington a 1-0 advantage.
However, the lead would be short-lived, as the Dash answered with two runs in the next half inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Brady Conlan reached on a fielder's choice. On the play, Blue Rocks third baseman Travis Maezes made an errant throw to second, allowing Trey Michalczewski to score. On the next pitch, Johan Cruz followed with an RBI single to right to give Winston-Salem a 2-1 edge.
Wilmington tied the contest in the seventh on an RBI double by Anderson Miller against Dash reliever Lane Hobbs (1-0), but the righty ultimately picked up the victory in his High-A debut.
Winston-Salem now hits the road for a quick three-game series against the Carolina Mudcats, starting on Sunday at 2 p.m. inside Five County Stadium. The Dash send right-hander Brannon Easterling (3-3, 3.93 ERA) to the bump against Muddies righty Cody Ponce (5-4, 3.14 ERA). Fans can catch all of Sunday's action on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio App, with pregame coverage scheduled for 1:45 p.m.
Following its series in Zebulon, N.C., #YourHomeTeam returns to BB&T Ballpark for its final homestand of the first half. Winston-Salem will play a four-game series against the Salem Red Sox from June 8-11, followed by a three-game set against the Down East Wood Ducks from June 12-14.
The promotions during this seven-game stretch include an All-You-Can-Eat for Free Night, Pups in the Park and our Two for $22 deal. The homestand will also feature a Lowes Foods Thirsty Thursday and Family Sunday, plus another Fireworks Friday. For tickets and more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.