The BlueClaws dropped both ends of a Saturday double-header in Greensboro. ---
The BlueClaws dropped both ends of a Saturday double-header in Greensboro.
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GREENSBORO, NC - Greensboro took a pair of games from the BlueClaws on Saturday, winning 9-4 in the completion of a game suspended on Friday, and 2-1 in eight innings in game two on a Kyle Mottice walk-off single.
Game One
Greensboro won the opener 9-4. The Hoppers scored five times in the second inning on Friday, including four on a grand slam from Connor Kaiser, before the game was suspended with Greensboro ahead 5-2.
Trailing 7-2, the BlueClaws scored twice in the seventh inning on Saturday including one on an RBI double from Seth Lancaster to cut the lead to 7-4.
Jhordany Mezquita (2-6) took the loss, allowing five runs, though all were unearned, in two innings on Friday before the game was suspended. Connor Loeprich (3-3) earned the win, striking out a career high 10 over five innings and allowing just two runs.
Rafael Marchan was 3-4 for the BlueClaws in the loss, his second three-hit game this week.
Game Two
Kyle Mottice singled home Zack Kone in the bottom of the eighth, the first extra inning, to give Greensboro a 2-1 win in game two. Mottice's RBI single came off Mark Potter (0-4) and gave the BlueClaws their eighth walk-off loss of the season.
Will Gardner (3-0) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief for the Grasshoppers. Nick Matera broke a scoreless tie with a solo home run in the fifth inning. Matera, a Rutgers product who joined the BlueClaws on Wednesday, now has two home runs in as many appearances with Lakewood.
Francisco Morales came out for the BlueClaws after throwing five scoreless innings, but did not factor in the decision. Morales has allowed two earned runs in26.2 innings pitched since June 7th.
Andrew Schultz came on in the sixth and gave up a game-tying solo home to Mason Martin. It was Martin's league-leading 23rd home run of the season and second of the double-header (he has homered in both ends of a double-header twice against the BlueClaws this year, hitting two walk-off home runs on May 19th).
The BlueClaws fell to 6-3 in extra innings. Carlos De La Cruz had two hits for Lakewood in the loss.
The teams finish their series on Sunday at 4:00 pm. RHP Kevin Gowdy (0-3)starts for Lakewood opposite RHP Osvaldo Bido (10-4).
- BlueClaws -
