A rough first inning doomed the Salem Red Sox in game one, while a torrential downpour prevented the Sox from achieving redemption in game two.
The Winston-Salem Dash scored four in the initial frame of the doubleheader that wasn’t, paving the way to a 7-4 victory. The Dash sent ten men to the plate in the top of the first at LewisGale Field. Their early offense featured a barrage of singles — five of them in the first — including a likely 6-4-3 double-play ball off the bat of number-three hitter Chris Curley that instead hit base umpire Brennan Miller.
Sox starter Kyle Stroup battled through some bad luck, tossing three and two thirds innings, permitting seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits. His counterpart Chris Beck was effective for Winston-Salem despite failing to strikeout a Red Sox hitter. In six innings, Beck gave up two runs on four hits and four walks. Beck earned the win and improved to 3-6. Stroup fell to 2-3 with the loss.
Noe Ramirez shined for the Sox in relief, pitching three and one third innings, allowing zero runs on two hits. He retired eight Dash batters in a row beginning in the fifth inning.
After a quiet night offensively, Salem rallied to send the tying run to the batter’s box in the game’s final inning. Keury De La Cruz laced a two-out, two-RBI double down the first base line to pull Salem within three. A Brandon Jacobs single brought catcher Blake Swihart to the plate with Jacobs and De La Cruz on base, but Swihart flied out to end the game.
Following a 7-1 deficit after four innings, the Red Sox plated one run in the fifth and two in the seventh (the last frame of the shortened game). The Carolina League’s leading hitter Garin Cecchini singled to drive in Sean Coyle in the fifth. Coyle walked in that inning and finished the game 1-for-3 with a monstrous solo home run to left field in the third. It was Coyle’s 10th dinger of the year, good for second in the league. Remarkably, nine of the diminutive second baseman’s 10 long balls have been solo shots.
Shortly after game one concluded, strong rain and heavy winds arrived, forcing the postponement of game two. The teams will play a doubleheader the next time Winston-Salem comes to town on June 3rd. The first pitch of game one is schedule for 5:30.
The Red Sox now hit the road for a week-long trek that begins on Friday night in Frederick. Mike McCarthy will start the opener for the Sox opposite Zach Petersime. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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Chris Graham
