WINSTON-SALEM DASHES TO FIRST HALF DIVISION TITLE
After blowing an early 5-0 lead, the Dash broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning against reliever Cole White. With two outs and the bases empty, Michael Earley scalded a base hit through the left side. After a walk to Carlos Sanchez, Brady Shoemaker skied a ball to the corner in right field that Roman Hernandez could not reel in on a dive. Two runs crossed for a 7-5 Winston-Salem lead.
They added two insurance runs in the eighth inning before wrapping up their first playoff berth since 2010.
A night after Dash manager Tommy Thompson was ejected, Blue Rocks manager Vance Wilson was tossed by home plate umpire Lawrence Reeves in the top of the third inning. Clearly angry with the strike zone of Reeves, Wilson demonstratively pointed in every which direction while screaming.
In the fourth, Kevin David reached on a throwing error by Sanchez with one out. McClure doubled deep to the gap in left center to put runners at second and third. While Merrifield batted, a wild pitch came from Bachanov to score David and push the deficit to 5-4. With two outs, Franco rolled a ball down the right field line to square up the game at five runs apiece.
Dan Black got the scoring started in the first with a three-run homer off Tyler Sample. They added single tallies in the second and third frames.
White (3-1) took the loss in relief, allowing four runs in 2.1 innings. He allowed five hits and three walks.
Justin Wilson, Nick McCully, and Chris Bassitt shut the door on the Rocks. They provided 5. 1 innings of shutout ball, allowing just one base knock and three walks while striking out four.
The Rocks end this four-game series and the first half of the season with a ballgame against the Winston-Salem Dash on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. Wilmington's RHP Chase Boruff (1-3, 4.38) hooks up with Winston-Salem's RHP Jake Petricka (4-4, 5.16). Broadcast coverage begins at 1:05 p.m. as studio host Rob Cunningham brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu.
PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
Wilmington took their 40th loss of the half on Saturday. It is the first time they have reached that mark since the second stanza of the disastrous 2005 season. That year's club dropped 41 games in the second half and finished the year with the worst record in franchise history at 60-80. The team record for most losses in a first half is 41, set by the 2000 squad. The Rocks must win on Sunday to avoid that dubious record. Going 30-40 on a half is the equivalent of a Major League team going 69-93.
With the loss, the Blue Rocks dropped to a season-worst 11 games under .500. They have not been this far below sea level since late August of last season.
Wilmington's fate is normally decided by who draws first blood. They fell behind 5-0 on Saturday in the first three innings. They are now 9-29 in games where the opponent scores first. When they put up the game's first tally, they have won 20 of 31 ballgames.
Early walks put Tyler Sample in a deep hole. While he only allowed four hits in his five innings, he still gave up five runs and took a no-decision. He has walked four guys or more in four of his last five starts and in three consecutive. In his last three starts, his ERA has ballooned even further from 5.29 to 5.65.
The Blue Rocks have faced off against the Winston-Salem Dash 13 times this season and have only come up with a victory three times. The Rocks finished the first half with losing records to all three teams in the South. They went 6-8 against Carolina, went 4-5 against Myrtle Beach and a 4-7 mark against Salem.
Chase Boruff will make his first professional start on Sunday afternoon. His first 62 pro appearances have all come in relief.
Vance Wilson was tossed from the game in the third inning for arguing the strike zone for his pitcher Tyler Sample. It is Wilson's fourth ejection of the season. He was tossed on May 16 and 17 in Lynchburg as well as April 15 at home against Frederick.
Winston-Salem's finally clinched the first-half crown in the Southern Division after defeating the Rocks 9-5 on Saturday. Salem's 8-6 victory over Carolina put the pressure on the Dash to close out the victory against the Blue Rocks. With the win, Tommy Thompson's Dash earned a spot in the 2012 S.D.C.S.