Martin Lifts Spartanburgers to Friday Win

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Spartanburgers led over Winston-Salem from the bottom of the first to the finish at Fifth Third Park Friday. The Dash made it interesting, but Maxton Martin’s record-setting night helped secure a 10-7 Hub City win. Both teams have taken two games in the series.

Martin drove in six runs, a new Spartanburgers record, and finished a triple shy of the cycle. The 20-year-old reached base in four of his five plate appearances. Martin's three-run double in the eighth extended a narrow one-run lead to four, giving Cole Stasio (W, 2-0) breathing room to finish the ninth.

After Dalton Pence was scratched from his scheduled start, Hub City had to piece pitching together from the bullpen. Joey Danielson made his first-ever professional start and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless frame. Josh Sanders then retired six straight through the third.

Coming off a 16-run effort Thursday, the ‘Burgers’ offense went right back to work in the bottom of the first. Martin walked, Arturo Disla was hit by a pitch and Malcolm Moore singled. A ground ball double play brought Martin home.

More solid contact against Justin Sinibaldi (L, 0-1) in the bottom of the second extended the Spartanburgers’ lead. Gleider Figuereo led off the inning with a single. With two outs, Luke Hanson doubled in Figuereo. A rally sprung, as Martin singled to score Hanson and Disla drove Martin home. After the second, Hub City held a 4-0 advantage.

Both teams hung zeros in the third, then the Dash got to Sanders in the fourth, batting around and scoring three runs on three hits and two walks. Dash shortstop Caleb Bonemer led off the inning with a solo home run, his third of the series. Sanders was lifted from the ballgame, and Anthony Susac got the final two outs of the inning.

Leading 4-3, the Spartanburgers counter punched in the bottom of the fourth. Cal Stark smoked a double to left-center; two outs later, Martin clubbed his second bomb of the series into the Hub City bullpen. Quincy Scott II added a solo swat onto the Spartanburg Community College Berm in the bottom of the fifth to make it 7-3, ‘Burgers.

Susac was tagged for two more runs in the sixth on a hit and a walk. Kai Wynyard allowed a single and a double, which plated the runs on Susac’s line. Wynyard gave up a rope of a solo homer to Colby Shelton in the seventh to cut the Spartanburgers’ lead to 7-6. He then stranded the potential tying run on second, with some help from Moore, who threw out his fourth runner of the series earlier in the inning.

Stasio tossed a one-two-three top of the eighth for Hub City. Seth Keener entered to pitch the eighth for Winston-Salem. Three walks loaded the bases for the ‘Burgers with two outs. After a ten-pitch battle, Martin dropped in a bases-clearing double into shallow right-center field. Hub City took a four-run lead to the top of the ninth. Despite a solo homer from Shelton off Stasio in the ninth, the ‘Burgers finished off a 10-7 win.

Hub City and Winston-Salem battle for the series lead on Saturday afternoon at 4:35 p.m. ET. Hub City righty Ismael Agreda (0-1, 7.36 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Gabe Davis (0-0, 2.00 ERA). 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.