On the strength of a pair of three-run innings, the Salem Red Sox beat the Wilmington Blue Rocks 9-4 on Friday night at LewisGale Field, giving them a 2-1 series victory.
For the sixth game in a row, the Blue Rocks scored in the first inning. Friday’s effort featured an RBI double from Mauricio Ramos, knocking in Humberto Arteaga. Elier Hernandez later singled in Ramos but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double, ending the inning with Wilmington leading 2-0.
Salem wasted no time responding, as they answered with three tallies in the home half of the first. Mauricio Dubon and Wendell Rijo each singled around a Forrestt Allday walk, loading the bases for Kevin Heller, who cranked a double to the right-center field gap. All three runs came around to score as the Sox took a 3-2 lead.
Wilmington managed to tie the game in the second thanks to one swing from Robert Pehl, who took Trey Ball deep in the first at bat, a solo home run that tied the game at three.
The Red Sox once again grabbed the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third on just one hit. Allday walked to lead off the inning and promptly stole second. He took third on a wild pitch and scored on a second wild pitch after Mario Martinez walked. Cole Sturgeon then blasted a two-run homer to right-center, giving Salem a 6-3 advantage.
Zach Lovvorn (2-2) took the loss as he surrendered seven runs on six hits and three walks in three plus innings of work for the Blue Rocks.
Salem added an insurance run in the fourth when Zach Kapstein singled in Jordan Weems, then two more in the eighth on a Kapstein sac fly that scored Jordan Betts and Weems taking home on a wild pitch. Weems was 3-for-4 with three singles, a stolen base and two runs scored. Kapstein went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Allday also stood out by going 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three walks.
Wilmington’s fourth and final run was scored in the fifth inning, an unearned tally off of Ball. Logan Moon reached on an error charged to Rijo and later scored when Humberto Arteaga singled.
Ball (8-8) allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits with four strikeouts in his five innings. His eight wins are tied for the second-most in the Carolina League. Kyle Kaminska and Chandler Shepherd combined for four scoreless innings in relief, pushing the Sox bullpen’s scoreless streak to 15.2 innings. Shepherd earned his second save of the year in the process.
Salem’s win improved its record to 51-48 and 13-16 in the second half, while Wilmington fell to 51-47 and 13-15. The Red Sox will start a three-game series with the Potomac Nationals on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. with Aaron Wilkerson (7-2, 2.77) starting for Salem. Potomac has not yet announced a rotation for the series.
Saturday will be Faith Night at LewisGale Field, as well as nine innings of winning presented by the Roanoke Times. Fans unable to attend can listen to the game on 1240 AM ESPN Roanoke, online at salemsox.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.
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Chris Graham
