SALEM, Va. – Courtesy of Salem Red Sox-
Salem solidfied its series win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Saturday night with two back-to-back victories at Haley Toyota Field.
How it happened
GAME 1:
* The Red Sox leaped to a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning. Tanner Nishioka led off with a double, Ryan Fitzgerald singled and Devlin Granberg posted the first run with an RBI groundout. Keith Curcio tripled to score Fitzgerald before a monster center field home run from Kole Cottam boosted the Sox 4-0.
* Myrtle Beach slashed the lead to 4-3 in the fourth inning. Grant Fennell drove a two-run home run and Cam Balego rolled an RBI groundout.
* A leadoff home run by Miguel Amaya tied the tilt 4-4 in the sixth.
* Rio Gomez and Andrew Schwaab combined for four scoreless innings of relief with five strikeouts and one hit.
* Rain ripped open in the 10th inning. After the last Sox at-bat, time was called at 10:01 to tarp. The game was delayed for 40 minutes before being declared suspended.
* The game resumed Saturday evening at 5:05 p.m. After both teams were blanked in the 11th, Myrtle Beach added one in the top of the 12th to go on top 5-4.
* Salem came right back in the bottom of the 12th, when a single from Devlin Granberg pushed across Ryan Fitzgerald, who had been placed on second at the start of the inning. Michael Osinski would bring home the walk-off run after reaching on an error, giving the Sox the 6-5 victory.
GAME 2:
* Starting pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus tossed seven innings of work on the mound, his second scoreless performance of the season.
* Garrett Benge gave the Sox the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when he crossed Jagger Rusconi, who had reached a scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt.
* Devlin Granberg doubled the score 2-0 with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning after a pair of leadoff singles put Benge and Ryan Fitzgerald on the bags.
* A lead off walk and single helped Myrtle Beach tack on one in the top of the eighth, cutting the score in half 2-1.
* Three more runs crossed the dish for the Sox in the eighth after a pair of singles kicked off the frame for the Sox. Garrett Benge continued his multi-hit effort with his 16th double of the season, adding two more RBI on the night. A throwing error helped Devlin Granberg reach and Benge score for the final run of the game, with the Sox coming out on top 5-1.
Standout Sox
GAME 1:
* Devlin Granberg: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R
* Kole Cottam: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R
* Keith Curcio: 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 R
* Ryan Fitzgerald: 2-for-5, 2 R
GAME 2:
* Garret Benge: 4-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 R
* Devlin Granberg: 1-for-4, 1 RBI
* Grant Williams: 2-for-4, 1 R
* Enmanuel De Jesus: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO (W, 8-9)
What's Next
Salem Red Sox vs .Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Sunday, August 25, 2019. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM
RHP Dylan Thompson vs. RHP Alexander Vargas