Salem Stymies P-Nats 5-3 in Nightcap Wednesday
SALEM, VA (Wednesday, June 13) - The Salem Red Sox got terrific three-hit performances from Tyler Hill and Ryan Scott, and managed to withstand a chance for a late rally by the visiting Potomac Nationals in a 5-3 win Wednesday night at Haley Toyota Field.
Salem (30-34) earned a split of the doubleheader, and salvaged a bit of momentum heading into their final series of the first half.. Potomac (34-29) came up just short of clinching the Northern Division's first-half title, as the Frederick Keys swept their doubleheader against the Lynchburg Hillcats.
Potomac opened the scoring right away in the top of the first against Salem starter Daniel Gonzalez (W, 7-1), who walked Rhett Wiseman with one away. Alec Keller singled Wiseman to second, and Jake Noll doubled to plate Wiseman before Ian Sagdal hit a 4-3 groundout that scored Keller and put Potomac in front 2-0.
The Sox earned a run back in the bottom of the inning, as Tyler Hill led off the frame with a single to right off starter Jorge Pantoja (L, 0-3). The righty tried to pick off Hill, but his throw was wild, and Hill raced all the way to third on the miscue. Roldani Baldwin hit a bouncer to the left side, and Hill zipped home to score and bring the Sox back to within a 2-1 margin.
Potomac tallied again in the top of the third. Jack Sundberg led off with a single, and scooted to third on two straight wild pitches by Gonzalez. With one out, Keller lofted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Sundberg and extending the lead to 3-1.
Salem answered in the bottom of the third inning. Hill knocked a leadoff single, stole second, and made it to third on a Pantoja wild pitch before Baldwin brought him in on another RBI groundout, trimming the lead to 3-2.
The Sox surged ahead in the bottom of the fourth. Scott battered a double to left-center field, but Trenton Kemp and Carlos Tovar failed to bring him in. However, Nick Sciortino came through in the clutch, lining a single into the outfield to tie the game up. Hill doubled Sciortino to third, and Brett Netzer worked a walk off new reliever Hayden Howard to load the bases. Baldwin hit a pop fly to the right side of the infield that looked certain to end the inning, but Branden Boggetto and Sagdal failed to communicate, and the ball dropped between them for a fluke RBI single that gave Salem a 4-3 lead.
Salem added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Jerry Downs led off the frame with a single, and moved to third on a single by Scott and an error in right field by Wiseman. Kemp kept the train rolling with an RBI single to left, running the lead to 5-3. In the top of the sixth, new reliever Jake Cosart (S, 1) gave up consecutive singles to David Masters and Edwin Lora to start the inning, but recovered to fan Branden Boggetto and Sundberg. With Wiseman at the plate, a Cosart balk moved the runners to second and third, but Cosart got the slugger to pop out harmlessly in foul ground to end the game.
Gonzalez fired six strong innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four. Cosart struck out two batters against two hits in a scoreless inning of relief.
The Sox will look to close the first half with a strong series on the road against the Lynchburg Hillcats, with righty Tanner Houck taking the ball in the opener Thursday night against Lynchburg righty Zach Plesac. First pitch at Calvin Falwell Field is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the pregame show with Ben Gellman and Suzie Cool begins at 6:15 p.m. on the Red Sox broadcast network.