Antuna's Big Night Lifts Suns to 7-6 Win

Lakewood, NJ - Yasel Antuna had three hits and three RBIs as the Hagerstown Suns defeated the Lakewood BlueClaws 7-6 on Thursday night to wrap up a four-game series and avoid a sweep at FirstEnergy Park. Hagerstown improves to 25-40 and will return to Historic Municipal Stadium on Friday for a 7:05 PM first pitch against the Columbia Fireflies in the first contest of a three-game series.

The Suns took their first lead of the series in the first inning against Lakewood starter Kyle Young. Yasel Antuna led off the game with a single to left and stole second. With one out, Aldrem Corredor doubled to left, plating Antuna to put the Suns up 1-0. Young struck out the next two Hagerstown batters to end the inning.
The Suns offense broke the game open in the fifth against Young. With one out, Jake Scudder singled to right and went to second when Jeyner Baez singled to center. Armond Upshaw doubled to left to plate Scudder and extend Hagerstown's lead to 2-0 while putting runners at second and third. Antuna doubled to left, driving in both runners and Cole Freeman doubled to right to cap the Suns scoring and give them a 5-0 lead.
Lakewood came roaring back in the home half of the inning against Suns starter Kyle Johnston and reliever Sam Held. Jesus Alastre led off with a single to right and Kevin Markham followed up with a single to center. With one out, Jhailyn Ortiz walked to load the bases and Jake Schiener singled to left to score Alastre and Markham to cut the Suns lead to three runs. Held entered the game from the bullpen, and with two outs Daniel Brito singled to left, scoring Sheiner to make it a 5-3 Suns lead. Rodolfo Duran reached on an error at second by Freeman and two runs came home to score, tying the game.
Hagerstown took the lead back in the seventh against BlueClaws reliever Zach Warren. Baez led off with a double to left-center field and Upshaw walked. With one out, Baez tagged up on a fly ball to left field and slid in just ahead of the throw at home to give the Suns a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the eighth Lakewood tied it up with a sacrifice fly of their own, making it a 6-6 tie.
In the ninth, the Suns took the lead for good against All-Star closer Addison Russ. Scudder led off with a double to the right-center field gap and Baez bunted him to third while reaching on a fielder's choice. Antuna picked up his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Scudder and giving the Suns a 7-6 edge. Carlos Pena allowed a hit in the bottom of the frame, but recorded the final three outs to slam the door and help the Suns earn a victory.
Johnston threw 4.1 innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Held went 2.2 innings with an unearned run on a hit and two strikeouts. Phil Morse (2-0) picked up a win and a blown save, allowing a run on two hits with two walks. Pena earned his second save of the season, throwing the ninth with a hit and a strikeout.
Notes: Antuna had his 12^th multi-hit game of the season and second three-hit game… He also recorded his fourth multi-RBI effort this year and first three-RBI game of the year… Freeman his third multi-RBI game of the season… Scudder's third multi-hit game of the season also snapped a three-game hiteless streak… Baez had two hits in a game for the fourth time this season… Esthay had his first outfield assist of the season… Hagerstown's six doubles is a season-high… It surpasses the previous high of five, set on May 12 in six innings of a rain-shortened contest against Charleston… The four runs Johnston allowed tie a career high… His four strikeouts tie the highest total he's had in a start this season… Morse issued the second intentional walk of the season of a Suns pitcher… The Suns are 19-3 when leading after seven innings… They earned their first win when tied after eight innings, and are 1-3 on the season in the situation… The Suns begin a three-game series to wrap up the first half when they welcome the Columbia Fireflies to Historic Municipal Stadium on Friday for a 7:05PM first pitch… One lucky family will walk away from the ballpark with a trip to Walt Disney World presented by AAA of Hagerstown… The Suns will send a pitcher to be announced to the mound against a Columbia starter yet to be announced… Friday night's broadcast can be heard, starting with the pregame show at 6:50 PM on www.hagerstownsuns.com by going to multimedia and "Listen Live"... The broadcast is also available on the Hagerstown Suns Radio Network in the Tune-In Radio App.
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