Disla Walk-Off Wins Series Opener over Brooklyn 

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — An extremely slow start for the Spartanburgers offense turned into an electric finish. Hub City (14-8, 45-42) won in walk-off fashion over Brooklyn (12-10, 57-31) thanks to a bases-loaded double from Arturo Disla.

Trailing by two in the ninth, Dylan Dreiling led off the inning with a single against Ryan Ammons (L, 4-1), then Malcolm Moore and Gleider Figuereo walked. Casey Cook grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Dreiling and cut the Brooklyn lead to one. The Cyclones intentionally walked pinch hitter Rafe Perich to load the bases once more, then replaced Ammons with Brett Banks. Disla smoked the first pitch he saw into left-center field and celebration ensued.

Two hours earlier, the contest was in a very different state. The ‘Burgers were held hitless through the first six innings as Brendan Girston and Raimon Gomez combined for 10 strikeouts through the first six innings.

Spartanburgers starter Dalton Pence faced early traffic in the first. With one out, Eli Serrano walked, and A.J. Ewing pulled a single. A flyout and strikeout ended the threat. Pence set down the side in order in both the second and third innings to finish his evening.

After Dylan MacLean worked through the fourth with just five pitches, Brooklyn tagged the southpaw for two runs in the fifth. Designated hitter Troy Schreffler Jr. pulled a two-run home run over the left-field fence after Disla dropped a foul pop-up, which would’ve ended the inning. In the sixth, the Cyclones scored two more against Anthony Susac on a walk, a double and two sacrifice flies.

Hub City began on the comeback trail in the bottom of the seventh. Dreiling finally cracked the no-hit bid with a triple to dead center against Jace Beck, the third pitcher of the night for the Cyclones. (Each team ended up using six pitchers.) Two batters later, Figuereo smoked his 16th homer of the season into the Brooklyn bullpen in right-center. Brooklyn led 4-2 after seven.

Mason Molina made his first professional appearance out of the bullpen for a scoreless eighth, and Wilian Bormie (W, 2-5) tossed a one-two-three ninth inning to set the table for the seventh walk-off victory for Hub City this season.

Ammons entered for the bottom of the ninth. Hub City loaded the bases with a Dreiling single and two walks. Cook drove in the first run of the inning with a fielder’s choice at second. He stole second base, and the bases were back to loaded after an intentional walk of Perich, the pinch-hitter. Banks replaced Ammons to face Disla. The first pitch from Banks was scorched into the left-center field gap to win the game.

The Spartanburgers and Cyclones play game two Saturday at 6:35 p.m. ET. Hub City turns to RHP Kolton Curtis (2-2, 5.77 ERA) in search of a series win. Brooklyn counters with RHP Will Watson (0-2, 2.64 ERA).

About the Hub City Spartanburgers

The Hub City Spartanburgers are in their inaugural season as the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. For more information on the Spartanburgers, visit milb.com/hub-city. For information about tickets to any of Hub City’s 66 home games, call 864-658-4206 or email: [email protected] For media inquiries, email: [email protected]. Follow along with the Spartanburgers on social media.