Late Pitching Mishaps Cost Salem Game 2 Win

SALEM, Va. – On a beautiful night for baseball in the Roanoke valley, the Columbia Fireflies took down the Salem Red Sox after scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning.

In a fairly defensive game, it was scoreless heading into the bottom of the fourth inning before Salem drew first blood. Leadoff man, Luis Ravelo, crushed his third home run of the season over the right field wall to give the Red Sox the 1-0 lead. His homer marked the first home run by a Red Sox player at Salem Memorial Ballpark this season. The blast went 370 feet and had an exit velocity off the bat of 100 miles per hour on the dot. Here’s how it looked and sounded on MiLB TV.

Scoreless once again in the fifth, it was a true pitchers duel in the early going. For the Fireflies, Ben Kudrna, went 5 innings, giving up six hits, one run, two walks and struck out five. For the Red Sox, it was the Southern Mississippi product, Dalton Rogers, who put together one of the best starts of the season, going 5 whole innings, giving up just one hit, walking three, and striking out six.

In the top of the sixth inning, Columbia took a 2-1 lead. Lizandro Rodriguez started it with a triple before bring hit home by Daniel Vazquez on an RBI single. Vazquez would advance to second on a balk before being hit home by Erick Peña on his base hit. Michael Valera didn’t have his best stuff tonight, pitching just an inning while giving up three hits and the two runs.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Red Sox tied the game up at two apiece. After two quick strikeouts Roman Anthony worked a walk and stole second before being driven home on an RBI infield single by Miguel Bleis. It was a wild play by the two fastest players on the Salem roster.

After a scoreless eighth, the game with tied heading into the top of the ninth. Columbia said “not so fast”, with a one out double from Brennon McNair. Two consecutive balks from Brock Bell brought McNair home for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.

In the bottom of the ninth, Ahbram Liendo made things interesting with a one out single, before stealing second and getting 90 feet away on a wild pitch. With Miguel Bleis at the dish on a 2-2 count, the Red Sox had a chance, before Bleis struck out to end the game.

The two teams will do it again tomorrow night for a 7:05 PM first pitch at Salem Memorial Ballpark. The series is tied at a game apiece.

Location: Salem Memorial Ballpark

First Pitch: 7:07 p.m.

Time of Game: 2:32