Battenfield, 11-hit effort pushes Dash past Birds

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (July 21, 2018) - Thanks to a sharp start from Blake Battenfield and a double-digit hit total from the offense, the Dash shut out Myrtle Beach in the series opener 6-0 on Saturday night at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. 
After Battenfield (3-1) and Cory Abbott (2-5) traded zeroes for the first four innings, Winston-Salem (19-10, 60-39) lept ahead in the fifth. The Dash sent nine men to the plate, scoring five runs on four hits with the aid of a Myrtle Beach (12-16, 46-52) error. 

With one out, Nolan Brown served a single left field and moved to second when Luis González was hit by a pitch. Then, Ti'Quan Forbes hit a ground ball to second base that Andruw Monasterio mishandled, allowing Forbes to reach safely on the error. That loaded the bases for Blake Rutherford, who drove a run-scoring single to right to give the Dash a 1-0 lead.
Mitch Roman followed by driving in two more with a ground-rule double to right-field, making it a 3-0 contest. Rutherford later scored on an RBI groundout from Gavin Sheets, and Roman crossed the plate on an RBI single from Yermin Mercedes. 
Battenfield was strong in his sixth High-A start, tossing six shutout innings and striking out five while allowing just four hits to earn a win. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy has now logged four quality starts over his first six outings with Winston-Salem.
The Dash added a run in the seventh. After Rutherford singled with one out, he stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. Rutherford later scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0. The 21-year-old outfielder finished the night 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. He has now reached base in six of his last eight plate appearances. Winston-Salem finished the ballgame with 11 hits on the night. 
Connor Walsh and Mike Morrison combined for three shutout innings of relief, helping the Dash pitching staff earn their second consecutive shutout and eighth overall this year.
The Dash continue their series against the Pelicans on Sunday at 6:05 p.m. Winston-Salem sends right-hander Lincoln Henzman (0-1, 7.20 ERA) to the hill against left-hander Bryan Hudson (6-7, 4.84 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 5:50 p.m. and fans can catch all the action on wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv, and the TuneIn Radio App.
Meanwhile, the Dash return to BB&T Ballpark on Tuesday for a three-game series against the Frederick Keys. Promotions for the homestand include a Free Food Tuesday, a camp day on Wednesday and a Lowes Foods Thirsty Thursday. For tickets and more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.