Offense is Present, but Pitching Falters in 16-6 Loss to Winston-Salem
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – A dozen hits and half a dozen runs didn’t come close to competing with the Dash Saturday afternoon, as the White Sox High-A affiliate pulled away from the Emperors in the 16-6 route. After Rome starter Garrett Baumann set down the Dash in order in the top
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – A dozen hits and half a dozen runs didn’t come close to competing with the Dash Saturday afternoon, as the White Sox High-A affiliate pulled away from the Emperors in the 16-6 route.
After Rome starter Garrett Baumann set down the Dash in order in the top of the first, his offense quickly went to work on Winston-Salem’s left-hander Lucas Gordon, tagging him for a run in the bottom frame on a Titus Dumitru sacrifice fly.
Winston-Salem responded in the top of the third with a run of their own off Baumann after three singles in the frame. Had it not been for Patrick Clohisy’s awe-inspiring diving grab in the right-center field gap, more damage could have certainly been done.
In the home half, Lizandro Espinoza’s second leadoff double of the afternoon and E.J. Exposito’s double up the left field line spelled trouble for the Dash again. A Clohisy sac fly would clear the bases for the Dash but not before Rome had retaken the lead, 3-1.
A six-run top of the fourth inning, fueled by four walks (all belonging to Garrett Baumann), a double from Cole McConnell, and a pair of singles from Sam Antonacci and Caden Conner, distanced the Dash from the Emperors heading into the middle innings. Four more walks from the first man out of the Rome bullpen, Giomar Diaz, resulted in another run for the Hyphens in the fifth. The nail in the proverbial coffin came in the form of a Ryan Galanie grand slam in the seventh off William Silva.
Winston-Salem tacked on another in the eighth and two more in the ninth for good measure and, aside from a flurry of doubles in the fifth which yielded two runs, Rome went down quietly in game two.
Five Dashers enjoyed multi-hit games, including Galanie and Jeral Perez who recorded three hits apiece. Rome’s leadoff, Lizandro Espinoza, paced the club in hits (3) and total bases (5). Titus Dumitru and Jace Grady both turned in multi-hit efforts as well.
Sunday’s rubber match with the Winston-Salem Dash is set for 1:00PM ET. Right-hander Dider Fuentes takes the ball for the Emperors opposite that of Aldrin Batista.