Dash fall short in twin bill opener at Down East

The Wood Ducks take game one of Sunday's doubleheader 10-5

Gavin Sheets registered two hits in game one on Sunday. (James Geiser/Winston-Salem Dash)

May 20, 2018

KINSTON, N.C. (May 20, 2018) - The Dash came within one run of tying Down East in the sixth inning but fell short in game one of a doubleheader, as the Wood Ducks outlasted Winston-Salem to pick up a 10-5 win at Grainger Stadium on Sunday afternoon.The Dash (23-18) and

KINSTON, N.C. (May 20, 2018) - The Dash came within one run of tying Down East in the sixth inning but fell short in game one of a doubleheader, as the Wood Ducks outlasted Winston-Salem to pick up a 10-5 win at Grainger Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Dash (23-18) and Wood Ducks (24-18) traded zeroes for the first three innings of the game, but in the bottom of the fourth, Down East got on the board first, plating five runs against Dash starter Luis Martinez (2-3). After back-to-back singles from Eric Jenkins and Leody Taveras, Anderson Tejeda drove in the game's first run with a single to right field. Alex Kowalczyk followed with a two-run double to center field to put the Wood Ducks up 3-0. After Chuck Leblanc singled, Josh Altmann added two more runs for Down East with a single that scored Kowalczyk and Leblanc to put Down East ahead 5-0.

The Dash offense quickly responded in the top of the fifth, plating three runs against Down East starter Steven Bruce. First, Gavin Sheets led off the inning with a single. After Yermin Mercedes walked and Ti'Quan Forbes singled to center field, Yeyson Yrizarri reached base on a fielder's choice that scored Sheets to put Winston-Salem on the board. Mitch Roman followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Mercedes, and Luis Basabe stroked an RBI single that brought home Forbes to make it a 5-3 contest.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Dash reliever Yelmison Peralta replaced Martinez and worked a 1-2-3 inning to keep Winston-Salem within two. Then, in the top of the sixth, the Dash promptly pulled within one run.
With two outs in the inning, Mercedes doubled and advanced to third on an error by left fielder Eric Jenkins. Forbes then lined a single to score Mercedes and put Winston-Salem within one at 5-4.
However, the Wood Ducks put the game out of reach in the sixth. Leblanc led off the frame with a double, and he crossed home plate on Andretty Cordero's run-scoring single. A sacrifice fly from Matt Whatley made it a 7-4 contest, and Leody Taveras blew the game open with a three-run homer that put Down East ahead 10-4.
Winston-Salem scored one in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Sheets, but Kaleb Fontenot (2-0) locked down his second win of the year by retiring Forbes with the bases loaded to secure the win.
Winston-Salem's series with Down East concludes with game two on Sunday at Grainger Stadium, which will begin at 5 p.m. Drew Hasler (1-0, 6.30 ERA) will start for the Dash against Down East left-hander Christian Torres (3-2, 3.38 ERA). Fans can catch all the action on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio App.