9th Inning Rally Not Enough as Dash Lose 4-3

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (August 18, 2022) — The Winston-Salem Dash comeback fell just short in a 4-3 loss to Hickory.

Game four between Hickory and Winston-Salem began as a pitcher’s duel between the Dash’s Tommy Sommer, and Hickory’s TK Roby. Neither man allowed a run through five innings, with Sommer racking up a pair of strikeouts along the way. For Roby, he allowed just four base hits through five innings, to go along with eight punchouts.

Michael Brewer sent Winston-Salem down in order in the top of the sixth to open his relief appearance, then Hickory’s Alejandro Osuna singled to open the home half of the inning. Thomas Saggese singled after Osuna, who held up at second base. Following a strikeout, Angel Aponte broke the scoreless game with a three-run blast to left-center field.

After a scoreless seventh, Duke Ellis dropped down a perfect bunt to reach base in the top of the eighth. Bryan Ramos drew a walk with one out, then Luis Mieses got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Alsander Womack then lined out to short, but a throwing error allowed Ellis to score, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Hickory then turned to another reliever, Damian Mendoza. He immediately allowed Ramos to score on a wild pitch, before walking Ben Norman and hitting Adam Hackenberg with a pitch. That brought up Harvin Mendoza with the bases loaded, trailing 3-2, but he lined out to left field to end the inning.

Hickory responded in the bottom of the eighth, when Angel Aponte cracked his second home run of the night. It was a solo shot, putting the Crawdads up 4-2.

Tyler Osik walked to lead off the top of the ninth, looking to spark a comeback for the Dash. Duke Ellis doubled right after him, with Osik settling at third base. Following a mound visit, Colson Montgomery lifted a sacrifice fly to center which scored Osik, and pushed Ellis to third. But with the tying run 90 feet away, Hickory was able to get a strikeout and a pop out to hold on for a 4-3 win. Michael Brewer took home the ‘W’ on his line, with Sommer saddled with the loss.