K-Mets Pummel Royals Behind 22-Hit Night

BURLINGTON, N.C.-For the second-consecutive night to begin the 2017 season, Kingsport put double-digit runs and hits on the scoreboard as the K-Mets cruise to a 16-1 victory Friday night over the Burlington Royals to clinch the first-series win of the season.
Along with the first series-win of the year, the K-Mets (2-0) pummeled the Royals (0-2) in both hits and runs as Kingsport has now totaled 26 runs off 33 hits to begin the year. Six members of the visitor's squad recorded multi-hit days as Anthony Dirocie and Victor Moscote led the way with four hits on the night.
Scoring in bunches has been the early motto for the 2017 K-Mets and Friday night was no different as Kingsport jumped out with five early runs in the first inning, added four more in the second and capped the offensive-happy night with four more runs in the ninth inning.
Once again, the Kingsport starter on the night had a lot of room to work with as Carlos Hernandez (1-0) yielded only one hit in five innings, surrendering no runs while punching out five batters for his first win of the season. Ronald Sanchez (S, 1) closed the door with a four-inning save while allowing only one run off three hits.
Before Hernandez even stepped on the mound to throw his first pitch, the right-hander had a four-run cushion as a wild pitch allowed the first run to score, an RBI single from Wagner Lagrange followed to set the table for a three-run home run from Juan Uriarte.
The blast from Uriarte was the first home run of the season for the Kingsport Mets.
Following a clean bottom half of the frame, Kingsport was at it again in the second as Anthony Dirocie drove in the first two with a two-run double, Dan Hoy followed with an RBI single to center field and Uriarce brought the scoring to a close in the frame by scoring on a passed ball.
Midway through the second inning, the K-Mets led by a score of 9-0.
Kingsport added another in the top of the third thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of Lagrange. The deep drive to center field allowed Edgardo Fermine to tag and score from third base-boasting the lead out to 10 runs.
The offense was quiet for the next three innings until the visitors tallied a run apiece in both the seventh and eighth innings. Fermine doubled in Angel Manzanarez for the 11^th run of the day while Victor Moscote drove in Dionis Paulino in the eighth.
Leading by 11 runs at 12-1 in the top of the ninth, Kingsport ended the contest with four more runs in its last chance at the plate with two more long balls.
Dirocie sent a three-run shot, the second three-run home run of the day for Kingsport, over the left-center field wall for the first blast and Uriarte followed with his second home run of the game a batter later with a bomb over the ally-way in left field.
The K-Mets finished the contest with 16 runs off 22 hits as six players record multi-hit days. Dirocie led the way with a 4-for-6, 5-RBI day that included a homer while Moscote tallied four hits and with an RBI in the win as well. Fermine, Rigoberto Terrazas, and Uriarte all finished the contest with three hits apiece, the latter with two home runs, while Paulino racked up two hits on the day.
Burlington's lone run of the evening came in the sixth when Michael Gigliotti scored on a passed ball.
Thanks to the early power showcased by the Mets, Royals starting pitcher Michael Messier (0-1) was chased out of the game with only one out in the first inning as the K-Mets tallied five runs off six hits against the southpaw, who faced only eight batters.   
Burlington's offense was nonexistent a day after tallying double-digit hits in the opener on Thursday as the Royals finished the contest with only four hits.
Kingsport goes for the sweep Saturday night with the final game of the series set to begin at 7 p.m. from Burling Royals Stadium.