Yankees Lose Pitchers' Duel
PULASKI, Virginia - It was a family affair in Pulaski on Sunday afternoon as the Princeton Rays (31-24) took game one of a doubleheader against the Pulaski Yankees (23-32) with a score of 3-1. Eleardo Cabrera, the older brother of Pulaski infielder Oswaldo Cabrera, produced the first run of the game, hitting a solo shot over the right field wall in the first inning. The parents of the Cabrera brothers were present for the games Sunday, picking a good day to watch their eldest son.
The Yankees lone run of the first game came in the bottom of the second inning when catcher Victor Rey drove in Leonardo Molina on a two-out double.
The Rays managed to score two more runs to extend their lead to 3-1. Third baseman Josh Lowe crossed the plate in the second inning and catcher Rafelin Lorenzo did the same in the fourth.
Willy Ortiz (7-0) got the win for Princeton while pitching five innings, giving up one run and striking out five. For Pulaski, starter Abel Duarte (1-4) picked up the loss. Duarte tossed seven innings and gave up three runs while striking out six.
Game two started thirty minutes after the conclusion of game one, and it was more of a pitcher's duel than the first game. Pulaski starter Phillip Diehl did not allow a base runner through the first 3.1 innings. No runs were scored by either team until the 10th inning. Josh Lowe, Princeton's third baseman, drove in Rene Pinto with a single to right field to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.
Pinto's run was the only one scored in the game as the Rays took game two by a score of 1-0. Pulaski reliever Cody Hamlin (1-2) got the loss, pitching 1.2 innings and giving up one run on two hits. Princeton reliever Dalton Moats (3-2) pitched three innings while giving up no runs and one hit en route to the win.
The Yankees will face off against the Rays on Monday in another doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. before finishing the series on Tuesday.