Walk-Off Rocks Do It Again, Secure Series Opening 7-6 Win In The 9th Versus Greenville

For the third time in the four games that they’ve played at home, the Wilmington Blue Rocks walked it off in the bottom of the ninth after Viandel Pena hit a two-run double to take the first of the six-game series against the Greenville Drive by a score of 7-6.

The Drive opened up the scoring in the third inning after a rough defensive inning from the Blue Rocks. Caden Rose and Eduardo Lopez drew back-to-back walks to open the frame, and then a pair of errors brought both runners home. One batter later, Allan Castro gave Greenville a 3-0 lead after hitting a sacrifice-fly to center field.

The Blue Rocks started to chip away though, as they got on the board in the bottom half of the third after T.J. White grounded into a fielder's choice to score Johnathon Thomas and cut the deficit to two. Then in the next inning, Sammy Infante knotted the score up at three with a two-run home run over the left field fence.

Greenville’s bats didn’t stay quiet for long though, as they broke up the 3-3 tie with another three-run inning, this time in the sixth. Ronald Rosario got the inning started with a leadoff walk and then advanced to second after Luis Ravelo grounded into a fielder’s choice. Juan Chacon followed suit with a walk and then Rose drove both Rosario and Chacon home with a triple. Eduardo Lopez hit a sacrifice-fly to cap off the scoring and give the Drive a 6-3 lead.

Once again, the Rocks fought back in the bottom half of the frame, sending eight guys up to the plate to cut the score to 6-5. With one out in the inning, Thomas and Daylen Lile singled to get on, and Kevin Made moved them over with a fielder’s choice. White then came through on the second pitch of his at-bat to score both runners.

In the ninth, it was time for some more home-field magic. Branden Boissiere got the inning started with a single to center, and was then replaced by Murphy Stehley as a pinch-runner. With one out, Infante kept the inning alive with a single of his own, bringing Pena up to the plate and on the third pitch of his at-bat, Infante ripped a double down the left field line to bring both runners home.

Infante led the team at the plate with a 2-3 day, while drawing two walks and driving in two. Lile also recorded two hits, and T.J. White drove in a team-high three runs. Rodney Theophile threw five innings of three-run ball (zero earned), and struck out three.

Wilmington and Greenville will battle it out again tomorrow in the second game of this six-game set, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.