Dance Halls Dip Honky Tonks 3-2

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Round Rock Dance Halls (31-42) took a 4-3 series lead in the 2018 Battle for the Boot Championship after claiming a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Honky Tonks (33-38) at First Tennessee Park on Friday night.
Round Rock reliever RHP Ricky Rodriguez (1-0, 0.00) notched his first career Triple-A win after tossing 1.1 scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth. On the losing end was Honky Tonks reliever RHP Ryan Dull (1-2, 3.48), who allowed the winning run to come across in the top of the eighth.
Although he finished with a no-decision, Dance Halls starter RHP Adrian Sampson pieced together a solid outing on the bump as he permitted just one earned run to score over 6.0 innings of work. The 25-year-old has turned in back-to-back one-run starts since returning to the rotation on June 16th.
Nashville jumped on the board early in the bottom of the third when SS Jorge Mateo tripled home 1B Nick Martini with two outs to take a 1-0 lead. Things could've been worse for the Dance Halls as Mateo tried to leg out an inside-the-park home run, but LF Willie Calhoun , SS Nick Noonan and C Tony Sanchez were able to link up on a smooth relay to retire Mateo at the plate.
After starting the run-saving defensive play in the previous inning, Calhoun came through with the bat in the top of the fourth when he led off the frame with a single. Following a walk by 2B Christian Lopes and a Tommy Joseph flyout that moved Calhoun to third, 3B Andy Ibáñez reset the score at 1-1 on an RBI groundout to short.
Round Rock took their first lead of the night 2-1 in the sixth. Joseph kicked off the side by ripping a double into the corner in right before Sanchez drove him home on an RBI single to left.
The 'Tonks came up with a quick response in the bottom half of the inning when CF Brett Vertigan knotted things up at 2-2 on a wild little league homer. The madness started when Vertigan chopped a weak ground ball to Ibanez at third base. In an attempt to nab Vertigan at first, Ibanez lobbed an errant throw over the head of Joseph at first that ricocheted into right field. With Vertigan racing to third base, Joseph made a throwing error of his own that got past Ibanez, allowing the Nashville outfielder to trot home and tie the game.
Luckily for the Dance Halls, their multi-error mistake wouldn't comeback to bite them as Nashville returned the favor soon after, giving Round Rock the winning run in the top of the eighth. Honky Tonks relievers LHP Ryan Buchter and Dull got the first two outs in order before the shortstop, Mateo, fielded a grounder off the bat of Joseph and airmailed a throw into the stands behind first base.
With Joseph now standing on second following the misplay, Ibanez collected his second RBI of the evening on a single to center that put the Dance Halls ahead 3-2.
Still leading in the bottom of the ninth, Round Rock closer RHP R.J. Alvarez slammed the door shut by sitting down the final three 'Tonks batters in order for his Pacific Coast League-leading 12th save of the season.
The two teams will meet up for game three of the four-game set at First Tennessee Park on Saturday night. Dance Halls LHP David Hurlbut (2-5, 5.18) will get the start on the mound against a Honky Tonks pitcher yet to be announced. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
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