The Winston-Salem Dash (16-9) wasted no time taking control, scoring four runs in the first inning and cruising to a 10-1 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers (14-11) at Truist Stadium.
From innings two through four, the scorecard looked like this for Greensboro:
KꓘKꓘKKꓘK
Dash starter Gabe Davis struck out eight Grasshoppers in a row. It started with Jhonny Severino as the second out in the 2nd, and ended with Tony Blanco in the 4th.
It was all Winston-Salem from then on.
After Greensboro struck first in the top of the opening frame, Winston-Salem answered immediately—and emphatically.
The Dash loaded the bases and broke through on an RBI single from George Wolkow before Ely Brown delivered a two-run double to cap the inning, giving Winston-Salem a 4-1 lead.
Winston-Salem added on in the second. Another RBI single from Wolkow pushed the advantage to 6-1 and kept the pressure on Greensboro pitching early.
From there, the Dash never let up.
Winston-Salem tacked on a run in the fourth on an RBI single from Anthony DePino, and added another in the sixth, capitalizing on a fielding error to extend the lead to 8-1.
The Dash put the finishing touches on the game in the eighth. Boston Smith launched a two-run home run to right, stretching the lead to 10-1.
The Dash held Greensboro scoreless over the final eight innings, limiting traffic and keeping the game firmly under control.
Frankeli Arias (2-0) earned the win in relief, while the Dash bullpen combined to shut down the Grasshoppers lineup the rest of the way.
Winston-Salem will look to capture a split of the series on Saturday, May 2nd.