Daily Recap: 8/9

Drennen Ties It in the ninth in Kinston 5-4 win

John Drennen hit a two-out game tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score at four, and Beau Mills drew a bases-loaded walk with two out in the 11th as the Kinston Indians beat the Salem Avalanche for the ninth straight time, winning 5-4 in 11 innings at Historic Grainger Stadium. The home run for Drennen was his second of the year, and the first at Grainger Stadium for a man who hit 13 home runs last year for the K-Tribe. Beau Mills drove in a run in the third inning on an RBI-double, and the walk-off walk gave him 80 RBIs on the season, the most in the Carolina League.

Jared Goedert drove Mills home with his ninth home run of the year in the three-run third, but Salem responded with four runs in the fourth. Shawn Nottingham started and went five innings for the K-Tribe allowing the four runs, but the bullpen shut the door with six scoreless innings. Matt Meyer had a perfect two innings, and Josh Tomlin pitched a perfect eighth. Vinnie Pestano added one and two-thirds inning of scoreless relief and Mike Finocchi picked up the win with his inning and a third of no-run relief.

The Indians look to sweep the Avalanche tomorrow and win their 16th game over the Avalanche, the most wins against any team in the Carolina League. The win moves the Indians into second place all alone six games behind Myrtle Beach and one game in front of the Winston-Salem Warthogs in the race for the final playoff spot. Jeanmar Gomez takes the hill for the game four finale with first pitch at 2:00 PM.

VALLEY CATS TAKE A RAINY GAME ONE 7-5

It was the Valley Cats that scored first on Saturday night, plating two runs on a home run by NYPL leader Phil Disher. The Valley Cats added one more in the second and led 3-0 going to the bottom of the second.

In the second the Scrappers scored four runs, keyed by an RBI double by Robby Alcombrack and a two run home run by Ryan Blair and after two it was 4-3 Scrappers. Tri-City added a run in the top of the fourth and the Scrappers came back to score a run in the bottom of the fourth on a ground out by Isaias Velasquez and after four it was 5-4 Scrappers.

The Valley Cats added single run in the fifth and sixth and took the lead 6-5 after six full innings. In the eighth inning the Valley Cats added a run on a RBI single by David Flores and the lead was 7-5 going to the ninth.

In the ninth the Valley Cats put one man on against David Roberts, but could not score and we went to the bottom of the ninth 7-5 Valley Cats. In the ninth, Cord Phelps led things off with a single, Lonnie Chisenhall then flew out to left for the first out, then Walter Diaz hit into a double play and the Valley Cats took game one of the series 7-5. Game two is Sunday at 6:05 PM.

In Other Games....

- Buffalo won 2-0. LHP Aaron Laffey was sensational going 8 shutout innings and allowing only 4 hits, 1 walk and piled up 9 strikeouts. OF Todd Linden was 2-for-4 with a HR and RBI, and DH Michael Aubrey went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

- Akron won 3-1. LHP Scott Lewis was masterful yet again going 7.2 innings allowing 1 unearned run on 4 hits, no walks and 5 strikeouts. 3B Wes Hodges broke out of his slump to go 2-for-4 with an RBI, and 2B Brandon Pinckney went 3-for-4 with a 2B and 2 RBI.

- Lake County was rained out.

- The GCL Indians won 6-3 in 10 innings. RHP Alexander Perez went 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, no walks and had 4 strikeouts. DH Chu Chen went 1-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI, and 2B Lurvan Basabe went 2-for-4 with a 2B and RBI.

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