Blue Rocks Drop Home-Opener 6-1 To New Arrival Hub City

The Wilmington Blue Rocks dropped their home opener to the Hub City Spartanburgers by a score of 6-1 on Tuesday, April 8.

The Spartanburgers wasted no time getting on the board as Casey Cook grounded into a 4-6 fielder’s choice to score Dylan Dreiling, who led off the game with a leadoff single, for the game’s first run in the top of the first.

It didn’t take long for the Rocks to respond though, as a balk by Spartanburgers starter Leandro Lopez with the bases loaded brought home Elijah Green, who got the inning started with a leadoff walk, the first of three in the inning. However following the balk, Lopez was able to strike out Brenner Cox for the third out of the inning and escape any additional trouble.

Hub City threatened during the third and fourth inning with ducks on the pond, but Rocks’ starter Travis Sthele responded both times with back-to-back outs in the third and a pair of outs in between a two-out walk to keep the game deadlocked at one a piece.

“I was able to reset a bit and made some pitches when I had to,” Sthele said. “Got myself out of a jam and gave my team a shot to win.”

Sthele retired the side in order in the fifth to close out his Blue Rock debut, where he threw five innings of one run ball, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out four.

The Spartanburgers got to Chance Huff throughout the sixth and retook the lead as a result. After Huff struck out Julian Brock to open the frame, Arturo Disla doubled down the right field line and later scored after a sacrifice fly from Danyer Cueva. Then, Gleider Figuereo, who singled after Disla’s double, scored off an RBI single from Quincy Scott to give Hub City the 3-1 advantage.

Hub City continued to attack the Rocks’ pen, this time with three runs in the seventh inning off right-hander Yeuris Jimenez. The trio of Malcolm Moore, Anthony Gutierrez and Cook loaded the bases to begin the inning, and then a wild pitch advanced everyone 90 feet and plated the fourth run of the game. Then, a throwing error from Gavin Dugas and a sacrifice fly from Figuereo provided the game’s final margin.

Jared McKenzie, Caleb Lomavita, Elijah Green, and Branden Boissiere all tallied hits for the Rocks in the loss, with Green scoring the lone run of the night. Eight of the nine hitters in the Spartanburgers’ lineup recorded at least one hit, with Figuereo and Gutierrez both tallying two. Cook, Figurereo, Cueva, and Scott all recorded an RBI as well.

The two teams will face off for the second game of the six-game series tomorrow, Wednesday, April 9, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.