The Salem Red Sox scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth to force extra innings before plating three in the 11th powering their way to a 6-3 come-from-behind win over the Winston-Salem Dash Friday night at BB&T Ballpark.
Trailing 3-0 with two-outs in the eighth inning, Jose Vinicio slapped a ground ball to second base. Jake Peter fielded it and threw to first where pitcher Zach Isler was hustling over to cover. Isler’s momentum carried him toward foul territory and he was unable to keep his foot on the bag, allowing Vinicio to reach. The Sox went on to knock in two runs in the inning. Vinicio scored after Cleuluis Rondon threw past T.J. Williams at first on a Tzu-Wei Lin infield single. Two batters later, Kevin Heller blooped a single in to shallow right, scoring Lin and cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Wendell Rijo led off the top of the ninth with a line drive double that hugged the line in to the left field corner. Mario Martinez then smacked a ground ball just past Williams in to right field, scoring Rijo to tie the game at 3-3. Salem loaded the bases with just one out but Lin grounded in to an inning-ending double play. German Taveras struck out the side in the home half of the ninth and the game headed for extra innings.
Neither team threatened in the tenth but Salem came out swinging in the 11th inning. Rijo again lead off the frame by lacing a double in to the left field corner. Two batters later with runners on first and third and one out, Jake Romanski came in to pinch-hit for Carlos Coste. Romanski flared a ball in to center field that Adam Engel charged and dove for but was unable to catch. Rijo scored from third and the Red Sox took their first lead.
Two more runs crossed in the inning on an infield single from Lin. With two outs he softly chopped a ball over the head of Jose Brito while Rondon charged from shortstop. Rondon overran the ball and Cole Sturgeon and Romanski both scored to push the lead to 6-3.
Austin Maddox worked a 1-2-3 11th to pick up his sixth save and complete the comeback. The victory was the Red Sox first extra inning win in 2015.
The Dash got their runs on a Trey Michalczewski two-run home run in the first inning and when Keenyn Walker scored on a throwing error from Vinicio in the fifth.
Teddy Stankiewicz and Robinson Layer each did not factor in the decision. Stankiewicz threw a season high seven innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out three. Layer carried a no-hitter in to the fifth and tossed six innings with four strikeouts and only one hit against him.
Taveras (1-0) picked up the win with three scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Brito (1-2) took the loss with three runs, two earned, scoring against him over two innings. The Red Sox and Dash play the second of the three-game series and fifth of six-in-a-row against one another Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 with Kevin McAvoy (2-2, 2.48) opposing Jake Cose (0-0, 2.25). Fans can listen to the game on 1240 AM ESPN Roanoke, online at salemsox.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.
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