Dominguez Sparks Greensboro’s 23rd Come-From-Behind Victory, 4-3
ROME, Ga. – Matt Dominguez led off the ninth inning with a single to spark a Greensboro come-from-behind victory, 4-3 over the Rome Braves, and snap a four-game losing streak for the Hoppers.
Dominguez finished the day with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate and was also responsible for Greensboro’s first two runs of the game. With one out and a runner on base in the fourth inning, Dominguez hit his fifth home run of the season to give the Hoppers a 2-1 lead.
Rome had already broken the seal on the scoreboard in the second with a solo blast by Cody Johnson; the Braves pulled even with their second solo home run of the afternoon courtesy of Freddy Freeman in the sixth.
Kyle Kaminska handed the ball to Steven Cishek after 6 1/3 innings of work; both runs allowed by the starter came by way of the long ball. Kaminska struck out five batters while giving up nine hits during his tenure on the mound.
Cishek pitched one inning and walked two batters before giving two runners to Corey Madden. Madden allowed one of Cishek’s runners to score as Rome took a 3-2 lead in the eighth, but Dominguez and the Hoppers used three consecutive ninth-inning hits to erase the deficit and snap a four-game skid.
Dominguez and Ryan Curry hit back-to-back singles before Torre Langley doubled them home to give Greensboro its second lead of the contest. Benino Pruneda retired the next three batters in order to end the inning, but the Hoppers had already regained the lead.
Madden returned to the mound in the ninth and finished the game to pick up his fifth victory of the year.
The victory also marked the first time this season Greensboro was able to win a game when trailing after the eighth inning. Last season the Hoppers had a 4-54 record when trailing after eight frames; their four wins were the third-most in the South Atlantic League when down after eight complete innings of action.
Greensboro (45-45) and Rome (31-58) meet Thursday for the fourth and final time this season; RHP Brett Durand is scheduled to start for the Hoppers.
Postgame Quick Stats
Win – Corey Madden (5-0); Loss – Benino Pruneda (2-4); Save – None
Time – 2:51; Attendance – 3,265
*****from Justin Stottlemyre Hoppers’ media assistant*****