Salem, Va. - The Down East Wood Ducks secured a last at-bat win for the second night in a row, tonight doing so in an 11-inning marathon, defeating the Salem Red Sox, 5-4, to sweep a three-game series.
Salem, Va. - The Down East Wood Ducks secured a last at-bat win for the second night in a row, tonight doing so in an 11-inning marathon, defeating the Salem Red Sox, 5-4, to sweep a three-game series.
Salem opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Jarren Duran led off with an infield single, and then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Later in the inning after Ryan Fitzgerald walked, he attempted to advance to second on a wild pitch, and on an overthrow from Melvin Novoa , Durran was able to come in to score, making it 1-0 Salem.
Down East (10-4) responded in the second inning. Ryan Dorow worked a two out walk, and Novoa followed with an RBI double down the left field line, to tie the score at 1-1.
The Woodies then took the lead in the fourth inning. Diosbel Arias singled with one away, and then Dorow followed with a single to center. After a walk to Novoa to load the bases, Yonny Hernandez lifted a sac fly to right field to give the Woodies a 2-1 lead.
The seesaw battle continued as Salem (4-9) answered in the home fourth. With two out, Jonathan Ortega and Lopez hit back-to-back singles. Later in the inning Ortega scored on a wild pitch to even the score at 2-2.
It stayed that way until the ninth. Hernandez was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, and then advanced to second on an Eric Jenkins sacrifice bunt. Hernandez then advanced to third base on a wild pitch, and then Leody Taveras came through with an RBI double to left to put Down East ahead 3-2.
Salem answered in the ninth to force extras. Victor Acosta led off with a double, against Demarcus Evans (win, 1-0). Then with two outs, Pedro Castellanos slapped a single to right field to even the score at 3-3.
The teams then traded inherited runners in the 10th, as the game moved to the 11th. In the top of the inning with Dorow starting at second base, Novoa advanced him on a ground ball, and then Hernandez scored him on a sac fly to push the Woodies out to a 5-4 lead against Hunter Smith (loss, 0-1).
Francisco Villegas (save, 1) came on for the bottom of the ninth. Deiner Lopez began the inning at second base and moved to third on a groundout from Acosta. Then Durran followed with a ground ball to second base, and Arias was able to fire to the plate to get Lopez for the second out. Two batters later Castellanos popped out to end the ballgame.
The Woodies continue their road trip Thursday in Wilmington. Right hander A.J. Alexy (0-2, 4.70) gets the start for the Wood Ducks, opposed by Blue Rocks righty Jackson Kowar (0-0, 0.96). First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and the broadcast will begin at 6:20 p.m. on 960AM The Bull and on 960amthebull.com as well as on the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio Apps.
