Langlois the hero as Doubledays win thriller
WILLIAMSPORT, PA - After snapping a skid of six losses in seven tries with an extra-inning win on Friday, the Doubledays decided to one-up themselves on Saturday night. Well, at least Bryan Langlois did.
The 20th-round pick from Pepperdine lined a two-out single to right-center in the top of the ninth that scored Jose Marmolejos from third and gave the Doubledays a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.
After David Masters flew out to start the inning, Marmolejos singled to right. Raudy Read hit a hard groundball to third that was snagged by Cutters third baseman Jan Hernandez, but first baseman Rhys Hoskins couldn't field the long throw cleanly, and Marmolejos aggressively took third on the play. After Matt Page struck out against Calvin Rayburn (0-1), Langlois walked up and took a 1-1 pitch over the head of second baseman Drew Stankiewicz and into right-center for the game-winner. Langlois topped his effort from Friday, when his sac-fly put the Doubledays ahead 3-2 in a game they'd eventually win 6-4.
The first Doubledays run came back in the top of the fourth. Masters and Marmolejos hit consecutive doubles, but Masters was thrown out at the plate on the latter, a hanging fly to left-center that was nearly caught by Aaron Brown. Read singled Marmolejos over to third, and Page lofted a sac fly to center to score Marmolejos and get the Doubledays on the board.
Doubleday pitching was mostly terrific. Connor Bach battled through the first three innings, walking four but keeping the Cutters off the board. Chase McDowell relieved Bach and was excellent, needing just 31 pitches to get nine outs. But in the seventh, McDowell allowed an infield hit to Deivi Grullon, a single to right by Emmanuel Marrero, and an RBI bouncer to the left side by Chase Harris that was fielded without a throw by Masters.
Domenick Mancini (1-0) entered the game with two on and one out, and calmly set the Cutters down in both the seventh and eighth innings to earn his first professional win. RC Orlan gave up a two-out hit to Marrero, but was otherwise spotless in the ninth for his first save of the year.
The Doubledays look to take three of four from the Crosscutters tomorrow night in Williamsport. RHP Austen Williams makes his Doubledays debut against RHP Preston Packrall (0-0, 6.94). Coverage begins on 98.1 FM and 1590 AM WAUB at 4:55, with first pitch scheduled for 5:05.
The Doubledays return home on Monday to face the first-place State College Spikes for a two-game set. Games start at 7:05 both nights, with the gates at Falcon Park set to open at 6. For tickets, you can stay right here on auburndoubledays.com, call (315) 255-2489, or visit the Falcon Park box office.