WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Spartanburgers dropped each of the first three to start the week against the Dash. All three games were low-scoring, one-run decisions. Hub City’s (28-28) offense exploded over the weekend, compiling 28 runs in the final three games of the series to salvage a split against Winston-Salem (33-24). Sunday turned into the highest scoring game of the week, an 11-8 ‘Burgers win.
Hub City started the scoring on just the second pitch of the game. Yeison Morrobel smashed a leadoff home run off Mason Adams. That lead would hold up until the third inning. Adams worked around two more baserunners in the first and multiple baserunners in each of the next two innings.
The Dash got a double in both the first and the second but could not cash in against ‘Burgers starter D.J. McCarty. Bryce Eblin tied the game with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the third, his first High-A blast. Caleb Bonemer reached on a one-out walk and stole second. George Wolkow singled him in to give the Dash their first and only lead of the game.
Seth Keener (L, 3-2) took over to start the fourth. Carter Garate reached to begin the inning on a throwing error. Esteban Mejia blasted Hub City back in front with his first High-A home run. Keener surrendered a single and was pulled from the game. Trey Cooper came into the game and gave up another single before finally recording the first out of the inning. Antonis Macias singled in a run, and a walk loaded the bases for Ben Hartl, who drove in two more with a single to right. Jack Young entered as the third pitcher of the inning. He allowed one more run to score on a Chandler Pollard sacrifice fly before ending the frame.
McCarty responded with a shutdown bottom of the fourth, retiring the side in order. After Hub City went down one-two-three in the fifth, McCarty went back out for the bottom half of the inning. He struck out two more batters to start the inning and handed the baseball to Cole Roland. McCarty finished his afternoon with a new career high of nine punchouts. Roland gave up a solo home run to Bonemer before sending the game to the sixth.
Young provided another scoreless inning for the Dash, working around a two-out single. With one on and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Eblin clubbed his second home run of the day, cutting the Hub City lead to 7-5. Adrian Rodriguez (W, 1-0) got the final out of the inning.
Madison Jeffrey was the next man out of the Winston-Salem bullpen to start the seventh. He allowed two runners into scoring position with one out. Sulbaran drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Morrobel followed it up with a run-scoring single. With the lead back at four, Jake Bockenstedt was called out of the bullpen. He surrendered an RBI double to Macias before stranding two runners on.
Rodriguez gave up a lone run in the seventh off a Boston Smith triple and a wild pitch. Hub City took a 10-6 lead to the eighth. After Mathias LaCombe pitched a scoreless inning for the Dash, the ‘Burgers turned to Jesus Gamez out of the bullpen. Gamez walked the bases loaded one out into the inning. A two-base throwing error from Mejia allowed two runs to score. Case Matter took over on the mound and stranded the tying runs in scoring position with a popout and a lineout, which Pollard caught on a dive to keep the Spartanburgers’ lead intact and end the inning.
Quincy Scott drove in one more insurance run in the top of the ninth with a sacrifice fly off Garrett Wright. Joey Danielson (S, 7) provided a no-nonsense bottom of the ninth. The righty reliever set down the side in order with a pair of strikeouts.
Hub City returns to Fifth Third Park on Tuesday to begin a six-game series with the Asheville Tourists, the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET.
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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