Yankees Record Triple Play in Doubleheader Sweep of Danville

(Pulaski, VA)-What a difference a day can make. Heavy rain led to the suspension of Sunday night's game against the Danville Braves, and while the game was still in an early juncture the Yankees were in a bad way. When the skies opened on Sunday night Pulaski (8-6) was in an early 3-0 hole. When play resumed early Monday evening, the Yankees seized the day and stormed back to take game one, 6-4, before the pitching of Nestor Cortes and the first triple play in Pulaski Yankee history propelled the Yankees to a 2-1 victory in the back end of the doubleheader.

The Braves (4-9) jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Pulaski starter Melvin Morla. Leudys Baez began the game with a triple into the left field gap. The next batter, Jose Morel took Morla deep to give his club a quick 2-0 lead.

Danville scored one run in the third on the strength of one hit and three walks. Following two quick outs Carlos Castro doubled into right. Morla would then issue three consecutive walks to force Castro home.

Morla once again struggled with his control. In 2.2 innings, Morla allowed three runs on four hits and four walks while striking out one.

Then, the rain came. With no immediate relief in sight play was suspended until Monday.

Yankee manager Tony Franklin charged William Gabay with the most difficult of tasks. Gaby entered the third inning with the bases loaded and a 3-1 count to Braves catcher Trey Keegan. Gabay promptly induced a groundout to escape the tight situation.

Danville would score once more in the fifth, but a five-run bottom of the sixth would put the Yankees in the lead.

Following a Carlos Vidal strikeout, shortstop Hoy Jun Park drove a ball over the wall in right-center for the first round tripper of his career. But Pulaski was not finished slugging. Austin Afenir followed up Park's homer with a double and Nathan Mikolas singled to place runners on the corner for Gosuke Katoh. The Yankees second baseman delivered with a three run home run. Not to be outdone, Kendall Coleman also sent a ball out of the yard for the first back-to-back home runs in the Pulaski Yankees' short history.

The Yankees bullpen kept the Braves off the bases and off the scoreboard to close out the game. Pulaski relievers retired the final 13 batters.

Gabay (1-0) worked 3.1 innings of one-run ball. Alex Robinett threw three perfect innings with three strikeouts for the save.

 Nestor Cortes and a touch of defensive wizardry set up another Yankee win in game two.

The lone lefty on the Pulaski staff allowed just three hits in six shutout innings. Cortes (2-0) attacked the zone all night and racked up six strikeouts.

The highlight of the day-if not the season-came in the top of the fourth. Ray Didder and Morel rapped consecutive singles to lead off the inning. With runners on first and second, Kurt Hoekstra put down a bunt, which Yankee catcher Jesus Aparicio fielded and threw to third, but Valerio dropped the ball. Danville now had the bases loaded with none out.

The next batter, Castro squibbed a ball in the no-man's land between the pitcher's mound and third base. Fielding his position, Cortes left his feet and snagged the ball while at full extension.

A converted outfielder, Cortes is accustomed to making such plays.

"I was lucky," Cortes said. "I played outfield all of my life, and I stayed athletic through my pitching career."

Danville's baserunners were caught out of position, and Cortes flipped to third to double up Didder. The play was not over. Valerio then fired across the diamond to first baseman Matt Duran to complete the triple play.

"Once I got up and made the throw I was just happy to get two outs," Cortes said. "Once I turned around and saw the throw go to first I thought 'wow, we got a triple play.'"

Pulaski's offense followed up by scoring their two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Vidal led off the inning by doubling into right, and Allen Valerio followed with a walk. The two baserunners then advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch by Danville reliever Grayson Jones. With two runners in scoring position, Billy Fleming lofted a fly ball to Didder, which allowed Vidal to score. Valerio then scored on a Duran double.

The Braves scored once in the seventh, but Brody Koerner was able to strand two runners to save the game and give the series to the Yankees.

The Yankees contest the final game of the series tomorrow night. First pitch at Historic Calfee Park is set for 7 p.m.