Tired of always ending up on the losing end, the farm affiliates won late in the game and late in the evening twice yesterday to finish at 3-3.
Charlotte 3 Syracuse 4
John-Ford Griffin's 2 out single with the bases loaded in the 11th inning broke a 3-3 tie. The Chiefs received fine pitching from starter Jamie Vermilyea, Justin Miller, Kevin Tolar, Lee Gronkiewicz and Spike Lundberg as they punched 16 Knight tickets. Vermilyea allowed 3 runs, 2 earned, in 6 innings on 4 hits and 1 walk with 7 strikeouts in his first successful IL appearance. Newly acquired Tolar was particularly successful striking out 4 of the 5 batters he faced. Gabe Gross went 1-4 with a walk and a sacrifice in the 11th inning, while driving in 2. Corey Koskie went 2-4 with a walk, as he winds down his rehab assignment.
Syracuse Post-Standard game story
Portland 3 New Hampshire 1
It was a fine pitcher's duel between David Pauley and Vince Perkins. Perkins threw 5 innings, giving up 3 runs, 2 earned on 4 hits (including a 2 run homer) and 1 walk with 8 strikeouts, but Pauley was better. The Cats could muster only 5 hits in the game, with Ron Davenport's run-scoring double the only big hit. Bubbie Buzachero went 2 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts; Tracy Thorpe and Steve Andrade finished up.
Dunedin 3 Clearwater 4
The D-Jays got solo homers from Carlo Cota and Guillermo Quiroz and 3 hits from Adam Lind, but Brian Reed coughed up the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth. David Purcey went 5 innings, and allowed 3 earned runs, on 7 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Justin James went 2 solid innings, allowing 2 baserunners, before Reed came in. A Jayce Tingler baserunning error in the first proved costly.
Peoria 5 Lansing 6
Christian Snavely's one-out single in the bottom of the ninth drove in Yuber Rodriguez' walk and sent the fans home happy. It was a topsy-turvy game in the land of automobiles. Peoria took a 4-2 lead with 2 runs in the 2nd, which held until the Lugnuts scored 3 in the bottom of the 5th. Peoria tied the game with a run in the 7th, and there the score remained until Snavely's decisive hit, his third of the game. Yuber Rodriguez ignited the rally in the 5th with a solo homer, while Eric Nielsen hit a 2 run homer in the 1st inning to get the Lugnuts started. Starter Po-Hsuan Keng, Jordan Timm and Aaron Tressler each threw 3 innings. Timm was most successful, allowing only a walk, while striking out 4. Keng gave up 4 runs, 2 earned on 6 hits and 1 walk with 1 strikeout. Tressler vultured the win from Timm allowing a run on 5 hits and no walks, while striking out one.
Auburn 8 Tri-City 15
The Doubledays started the game auspiciously with a 4 run 1st inning, but the lethal combination of poor defence and uninspired pitching ensured that the lead was short-lived. Six errors and 14 hits (including 2 homers) followed, and the game was done. Cory Patton doubled twice and walked, while Brian Pettway tripled and walked twice to lead the offence. Leadoff hitter Sean Shoffit continued to impress by drawing three walks. Kristian Bell went 4.1 innings, giving up 10 runs, 3 earned on 8 hits and 1 walk with 5 strikeouts. Adrian Martin has had better days allowing 4 runs in 1.2 innings, while Josh Sowers mopped up effectively.
Bluefield 6 Pulaski 8
Jacob Butler homered and singled twice and drove in 4 to lead the P-Jays to victory. Chris Gutierrez doubled twice and walked, while Heliezer Aguilar doubled and singled twice. Jesus Gonzalez and Chris Martinez joined Butler in the homer parade. Francisco Mateo started and struggled for 4.2 innings, allowing 4 earned runs. Benjamin Harrison was a little better, allowing 2 earned runs in 3.1 innings on 4 hits and no walks with 2 strikeouts. Shane Benson pitched the ninth, allowing 1 baserunner while striking out 2, for the save.3-star selection
3rd star-Jacob Butler, Pulaski hitting hero
2nd star-Jamie Vermilyea, fine pitching for Syracuse
1st star- Christian Snavely, Lansing hero
