Dixon Lifts Royals Past Rays 7-4

Burlington, N.C. - Rookie right fielder Burle Dixon made all the difference on Wednesday in a 7-4 Royals win over the Rays that snapped a seven game losing streak.
It was a see-saw affair that started in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Gionti Turner crushed an RBI double to put Princeton ahead 1-0. The Rays doubled that lead in the fifth when Angelo Armenta hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Jhosner Vargas.
With two away in the bottom of the fifth, Maikel Garcia proved the equalizer when he hit a two-run single to make it a 2-2 game. Princeton added a run in the top of the sixth when Luis Leon scored from third on a double play to make it 3-2. However, Dixon answered in the bottom half with a two-run base knock of his own to put Burlington ahead 4-3. That score held until the top of the eighth, when Leon scored again on an error by Garcia at short to tie the game at four.
Then, with two gone in the bottom of the eighth and runners on first and second, Dixon torched a three-run home run over the right field wall to put Burlington ahead 7-4.
Zack Phillips earned the win after three innings pitched with no earned runs and two strikeouts while Elliott Anderson came on in the ninth to collect his first professional save. Bryan Herrera, a reliever for the Rays, took the loss after surrendering the homer in the eighth.
Burlington is home on the Fourth of July for the first meeting of a three-game set with the Pulaski Yankees. First pitch is at 6:30.
Single-game tickets are on sale now. Call 336-222-0223 or visit www.burlingtonroyals.com for more information.
WP - Zack Phillips (1-1)
LP - Bryan Herrera (0-1)
SV - Anderson (1)
Highlights:
Dixon - 2-4, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Garcia - 2-4, 2 RBI