Down East Falters in Opener with Dash

KINSTON, NC - The Wood Ducks (23-18) could not solve Dash (23-17) right-hander Dylan Cease in a 6-0 shutout defeat. Chuck Leblanc reached base twice as the Woodies could only muster three hits on Friday night.

Cease only allowed two hits in his six innings of work- a stark contrast from his last start against the DEWDs when he only lasted two innings with eight runs allowed. Down East is shut out for the fifth time this season.
Winston-Salem scored one run in six of nine innings, including three solo home runs. In all, they collected ten hits and still stranded ten on base.
The Wood Ducks did make two dazzling plays in the outfield. First, Blaine Prescott robbed Micker Adolfo of a hit in the third with a diving catch in right. He dove forward and to his left on the liner to make the play.
Later in the eighth, a Blake Rutherford single to center rolled to Leody Taveras with Luis Basabe trying to score from second. Taveras threw a perfect one-hopper to home to get Basabe by two steps. The throw was Taveras's fifth outfield assist of the season - which leads the Wood Ducks.
Taveras also extended his on-base streak to 14 games with a single in the fourth. He has the second-longest active streak in the league after Friday's contest.
Down East did not lose any ground in the first-half race thanks to Buies Creek's loss to Carolina. The DEWDs remain a half game back of first with 29 games to go in the half. 
Game two of the series is on Saturday with right-hander Steven Bruce making his return to Grainger Stadium after he was added to the roster last week. He will be countered by right-hander Luis Martinez at 6:00 p.m.