Once again, Jared Bolden delivered the knockout blow, sending Salem to the mat for a 10-count with a two-out, two-run jack in the last of the 13th inning to propel his Pelicans to an 8-6 comeback victory. For the second straight day, the Red Sox coughed up a three-run lead in the late innings only to fall in extras, as Myrtle beach completed the four-game sweep of Salem in agonizing fashion.
In the bottom of the ninth, Salem led 6-5 and reliever Will Latimer struck out the first two batters of the frame. But Ryan Strausborger doubled with two away and Jared Prince singled him home to knot the score at six. This came after the Pelicans scored twice in the last of the seventh, cutting a 6-3 deficit down to one against Tom Ebert.
Fast forward to the bottom of the 13th, and Anatanaer Batista had retired the first two men in the frame before inducing a Leury Garcia fly-ball to the warning track in right field. Bryce Brentz backpedaled, appeared to be in position, but could not haul it in and was charged with an error, Salem’s fifth defensive miscue of the night, a season high. Bolden confidently strode to the plate and sent another deep drive to right, sending Brentz back to the fence. Salem’s right-fielder reached up, but this time it soared out of his reach and over the wall to conclude the game and the series.
Bolden and Strausborger each finished with four hits for Myrtle Beach, while Derrik Gibson connected on four hits and stole three bases for Salem. Bolden’s star shined brightest in the series, however, as the Pelican first-baseman went 12-for-20 in the four game set.
The entire game included eight errors—five on Salem—and 28 hits, 24 of which were singles. All of Salem’s 11 knocks were just one-base hits, while Strausborger doubled three times, the only extra-base hits for the Pelicans until Bolden’s round-tripper ended the game.
Salem starter Chris Hernandez pitched decently enough and was in line for the win until Latimer allowed the two-out run in the ninth and blew the save. Hernandez allowed just one earned run (three total) in five innings, with four strikeouts and no walks. Pelican starter Barret Loux was pushed around a bit more, but hung in there with a solid six inning, three earned run (six total) effort, striking out four and walking two. Both starters allowed nine hits, but Hernandez only allowed one double and Loux did not permit a single extra-base hit.
The Pelican bullpen pitched phenomenally, tossing seven scoreless innings, in which it allowed just two hits. Ryan Rodebaugh picked up the win, his first Carolina League victory, while Batista suffered the loss, falling to 4-3.
The loss was Salem’s sixth straight extra-inning defeat, dropping the Sox to 2-6 in extra-inning tilts in 2011. The 13-inning duration was the longest game, innings-wise, of the season, bettering the 11-inning loss to Lynchburg on June 1. Saturday night’s affair concluded in three hours and 39 minutes, however, a full 37 minutes shorter than the June 1 contest.
Salem returns to the Roanoke Valley following the game and prepares to host the Frederick Keys on Sunday afternoon at 4:05, commencing a seven-game homestand at LewisGale Field. Ryan Pressly takes the mound for the Red Sox opposite Nick Haughian for the Keys in the series opener.
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Chris Graham
