WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Spartanburgers and Dash faced off in an eerily similar pitchers duel in game two on Wednesday. For the second straight game, both teams were held off the board for seven innings. Winston-Salem (32-21) again bested Hub City (25-27) by the same score 2-1, and George Wolkow had the biggest swing of the night for the second straight game.
Dash starter Drew McDaniel gave up singles in each of the first two innings but stranded the baserunners. Hub City starter J’Briell Easley tossed three scoreless frames. The righty did not give up a hit but did walk two batters. After a one-two-three third from McDaniel, he gave up a one-out single to Gleider Figuereo in the fourth. Figuereo stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Hub City could not score him.
Brock Porter relieved Easley to begin the bottom of the fourth. After a perfect first inning of work, Porter walked the first two he faced in the fifth. A sac bunt put two runners in scoring position with one out. For the second straight night, Arxy Hernandez lined into an unassisted double play at third to end the inning.
Drew Conover pitched a scoreless fifth for Winston-Salem. He didn’t allow a baseball out of the infield. The ‘Burgers whacked two singles off Frankeli Arias in the sixth but left both runners on base. Jack Young set down the side in order in the seventh.
Porter faced the minimum in the sixth, but he started the seventh with a walk to Ryan Burrowes. With one out, Kyle Lodise singled to right field, the first hit of the game for the Dash. Chandler Pollard threw out Burrowes trying to go first to third on the play. Lodise moved up to second on the throw. He stole third, but a Porter strikeout sent the game to the eighth scoreless.
Mathias LaCombe was the next man out of the Winston-Salem bullpen to begin the eighth. Pollard led off the inning with a single. He stole second and took third on a throwing error. An out later, he trotted home on a balk to put Hub City up 1-0. Porter preserved the lead with a fifth scoreless inning in the eighth, facing the minimum.
Hub City could not tack on insurance in the top of the ninth. Joey Danielson was assigned the bottom of the ninth. Two walks and a flyout began the inning. With one out and two on, Wolkow smashed a walk-off double over the head of Paxton Kling in center field, just the second hit of the game for the Dash.
After two straight 2-1 losses, Hub City tries to snap its losing streak in game three Thursday night. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Spartanburgers are set to start right-hander Kamdyn Perry (0-0, 4.15 ERA) against Winston-Salem lefty Liam Paddack (2-1, 5.52 ERA).
About the Hub City Spartanburgers
The Hub City Spartanburgers are the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the reigning South Atlantic League South Division Champions. For more information on the Spartanburgers, visit milb.com/hub-city. For information about tickets to any of Hub City’s 66 home games, call 864-594-0701 or email: tickets@hcspartanburgers.com. For media inquiries, email: iunsworth@hcspartanburgers.com. Follow along with the Spartanburgers on social media.
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