Braves Complete Sweep of Royals

BURLINGTON, N.C.- The Burlington Royals snapped an 18-inning scoreless streak, but fell 5-3 to the Danville Braves on Friday night.
Once the game began following a 33-minute rain delay, Royals RHP Ismael Maldonado allowed a one-out walk in the top of the first to SS Derian Cruz , who scored when C Drew Lugbauer hit a two-run home run to give Danville (6-3) a 2-0 lead.
The advantage held at 1-0 until the third, when Danville took advantage of a leadoff hit by pitch to CF Sanders Commings. He went to third on a pickoff error, and came home on an RBI single from 3B Nick Shumpert.
The third inning was the first of three consecutive innings that Danville scored after the leadoff man got aboard. In the fourth, DH Bradley Keller walked, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. LF Justin Smith laced a leadoff single, scoring Keller and pushing the Danville lead to 4-0.
Commings led off the fifth with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and a Cruz single pushed him over to third. Keller stepped up and hit a sacrifice fly, and Danville led 5-0.
Maldonado was pulled after 4.1 innings, and RHP Tyler Zuber followed him into the game. Zuber twirled a strong 2.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits, and striking out six.
Burlington loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but could not score, though the Royals would break through in the seventh. 2B Jose Marquez hit a one-out single, and 3B Julio Gonzalez followed with a single of his own. CF Michael Gigliotti stepped up and doubled down the right field line, scoring both runners, and he went to third on an error on the play. SS Jeison Guzman hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Gigliotti and trimming the lead to 5-3.
RHP Tad Ratliff twirled 1-2-3 eighth and ninth innings, striking out all six hitters he faced in his professional debut for the Royals. Burlington could not muster anything in the eighth or ninth innings, and Danville held on for the win.
Gigliotti finished the game with three hits for the Royals, the only player with multiple hits in the game.
The Royals head to Princeton, W. Va. on Saturday night to open a three-game series with the Princeton Rays. First pitch is at 7:00 p.m., and RHP Carlos Hernandez (1-0, 3.60) starts for the Royals. The game can be heard at www.princetonrays.net. Burlington returns home on Tuesday, July 4 to face the Bluefield Blue Jays at 6:30 p.m. Stay after the game for the Independence Day Fireworks Celebration! For tickets, call (336) 222-0223 or visit www.burlingtonroyals.com.
Danville 5, Burlington 3
WP: Jacob Belinda (1-0)
LP: Ismael Maldanado (0-2)
SV: Ryan Schlosser (1)
HR: DAN- Drew Lugbauer (4)
Box Score