Hub City Drops Saturday Tilt in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, Del. — After the Spartanburgers (6-7) took the first three games from the Blue Rocks (8-5), Wilmington fired back with two straight wins. Saturday, the Blue Rocks powered their way to a 10-2 win with four home runs and a strong start from Josh Randall.

Randall (W, 1-0) allowed just one baserunner through the first two innings. Life was a bit tougher for Hub City starter Ismael Agreda (L, 0-1). Agreda stranded the bases loaded in the first and runners at the corners in the second to preserve a scoreless game into the third.

Arturo Disla started the scoring for the Spartanburgers in the top of the third with a two-out RBI single. An out into the bottom of the third, the Blue Rocks responded. A walk and four straight singles brought in three runs. A sacrifice fly scored a fourth. Yeison Morrobel scorched his second home run in as many days in the top of the fourth to cut the Hub City deficit to 4-2. The Spartanburgers did not score again off Randall, who lasted until two outs in the sixth.

Josh Sanders was the first man out of the Spartanburgers bullpen. After securing the final out of the third, Sanders pitched a clean fourth. Randal Diaz and Elijah Nunez tagged Sanders for back-to-back solo homers to begin the fifth. With two outs and a runner on, Ethan Petry smashed the third home run of the inning to make it 8-2 Blue Rocks.

Euri Montero, Adam Boucher and Brady Hill allowed just two hits to the ‘Burgers across the final 3 1/3 innings. Sanders pitched a scoreless sixth before giving way to Seth Clark. In his first outing since July of last year, Clark worked around a walk in the seventh for a scoreless frame. Petry smacked his second homer of the game to lead off the bottom of the eighth against Clark. After two walks and a flyout, catcher Cal Stark came off the bench to pitch the final two outs in the eighth. He allowed the last of Wilmington’s runs to score on an RBI single from Nunez. All three ‘Burgers struck out to end the game in the ninth.

The Spartanburgers still have a chance to win the series on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. ET. Hub City right-hander D.J. McCarty (0-0, 5.40 ERA) toes the rubber against Wilmington right-hander Yoel Tejeda Jr. (0-0, 6.23 ERA). The ‘Burgers return home April 21-26 against the Winston-Salem Dash. Tickets are available online at hubcityspartanburgers.com/tickets.

About the Hub City Spartanburgers

The Hub City Spartanburgers are the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the reigning South Atlantic League South Division Champions. For more information on the Spartanburgers, visit milb.com/hub-city. For information about tickets to any of Hub City’s 66 home games, call 864-594-0701 or email: [email protected]. For media inquiries, email: [email protected]. Follow along with the Spartanburgers on social media.