Dirocie Doubles K-Mets to Victory in 10th

KINGSPORT, Tenn.- Once again, it was the Anthony Dirocie show Friday night as the Kingsport Mets won their first extra-inning game of the season thanks to the outfielder's RBI double in the bottom of the 10^th inning that defeated the Bristol Pirates 4-3 in Game 2 from Hunter Wright Stadium.
With Jeremy Vasquez at second base and one out in the first extra inning, Dirocie drilled a 3-2 pitch to the ally-way in left center field. The runner Vasquez scored easily from second as the celebration began beyond the second base bag. With the win, the K-Mets (17-24) are now 1-5 in extra-inning games this season and have ecured two series-victories over the Bristol Pirates (9-33) on the season.
In a game that took three hours and 38 minutes, there were three lead changes and three ties throughout the 10 innings of baseball.
Kingsport struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Hansel Moreno came around to score on a fielding error by Bristol's third baseman Johan De Jesus. With runners at first and second base with no outs, a ball chopped off the bat of Rigoberto Terrazas sent De Jesus to his left. The ball skipped off his glove and rolled all the way behind the second base bag. Moreno, alertly, read the play and scored all the way from second for the first run of the game.
Four scoreless innings later, Bristol finally answered when De Jesus avenged his early error with an RBI single up the middle that's cored Matt Dirio who doubled with one out in the frame. Kingsport reliever Pedro Perez gave up the hit as it was the first batter he faced after taking over for starter Ezequiel Zabaleta.
Zabaleta's final line read 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball-surrendering seven hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Bristol and Kingsport were tied 1-1 midway through six innings.
The Mets retook the lead in the bottom of the frame when Anthony Dirocie drilled a ground-rule double to right-center field. The drive was the fifth RBI of the series for the center fielder and brought in Angel Manzanarez in the process.
The lead did not last long, however, as the Pirates drove in two runs in the seventh off a double from Huascar Fuentes to take the lead back once again at 3-2. The lead lasted all the way until the bottom of the eighth inning when Kingsport's Rigoberto Terrazas led off the frame with a solo home run to tie the score at three apiece.
After nine innings passed and a tie baseball game resumed, the ballgame went into extras. Dircoie then came up big for the second night in-a-row with the walk-off double in the bottom of the 10^th inning to capture the series-victory for the Kingsport Mets.  
Chris McDonald (0-1), whi surrendered the winning-double, took home the loss after pitching 1 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball. Aaron Ford (1-2) picked up his first professional win after tossing a scoreless ninth and 10^th frames with two strikeouts.
Bristol starting pitcher Domingo Robles, whow as not credited with a decision on the night, pitched a solid 5 2/3 innings of thee-hit baseball. The southpaw surrendered two runs but they were not earned.
Dirocie was the hero once again on the night as the outfielder doubled twice and drove in two runs. Terrazas's eighth-inning homer kept the game alive for Kingsport while the only other run of the game for the home team came off an error. The Mets finished with seven hits on the night.
For Bristol, Fuentes tallied two hits and two RBIs while De Jesus brought in the other run. Nelson Jorge picked up two hits during the loss.
The final game of the three-game series between the Kingsport Mets and Bristol Pirates will begin Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. Coverage of the contest can be found on the Kingsport Mets Baseball Network beginning at 6:15 p.m. with the Braeden's Barbeque Pregame Show.