The Will call on Saturday’s Hoppers-RiverDogs game

from Will Cornelius Hoppers’ media:

Charleston Leaves Town After Extra Inning Win In Finale

GREENSBORO, NC – The Grasshoppers took the visiting RiverDogs into extra innings last night, but were unable to hold off Corban Joseph and his Charleston teammates, as they posted a three-run 12th inning to finish the series with a 10-7 win in the finale.

Joseph and the Charleston lineup put up two early runs off Hoppers’ starter Kyle Kaminska, as Joseph connected on a two-run homer off the scoreboard in right field.

A hit batsman, double, and sacrifice fly in the Hoppers’ first knotted the score up at two runs apiece, but quickly changed in the next inning when Kaminska and the Hoppers saw the RiverDogs score again.

First baseman Mike Lyon managed the only Charleston run in the second when he connected with his second home run of the season, a two-out blast to left field.

Clinging to their new found one run lead, the RiverDogs blanked the Hoppers over the next two innings, but were also held scoreless themselves, as Kaminska held his opponents in check, and sent the Hoppers into the fourth inning trailing by just one.

The Grasshoppers strung together three base hits in the fourth frame to load the bases with nobody out, but couldn’t bring a man around to score. A strikeout and twin killing helped Charleston starter Jairo Heredia pitch out of the inning unscathed to preserve his one run advantage.

Heredia received three insurance runs in the following inning after Kaminska surrendered three hits to begin the inning. Kaminska looked to be in good shape after registering two quick outs with the bases loaded, but watched the RiverDogs strike for back-to-back doubles to ruin his escape attempt and extend their lead to four.

The Hoppers answered with a solo homer off the bat of Kevin Mattison, who was 2-4 on the day, and ended his second half power draught by belting just his second home run since the All-Star break.

After each team went scoreless in the sixth, Charleston picked up another run when heavy hitter Melky Mesa began the seventh with a double to centerfield. Mesa advanced to third on a sacrifice fly, and came around to score when Addison Maruszak lined a RBI single by the drawn in infield.

But it was the Hoppers’ who put together the strongest seventh inning, as five hits turned into a four-run inning that tied the ballgame heading into the final two innings of play.

Emilio Ontiveros led off with a hot shot by the glove of Joseph at third, and moved to second after Mattison beat the infield shift with a grounder past the short stop. A fielder’s choice put runners at the corners with two outs, and appeared as if the Charleston pitching staff was about to pitch out of yet another sticky situation.

But with two outs, Ryan Keedy connected on his first home run as a Hopper, a towering three-run shot to right centerfield. The blast closed the gap to just one run, and set the table for Ben Lasater to keep the inning alive with a line drive to left field. The not so fleet-footed Lasater sped around the bases during the next at-bat, scoring from first on a clutch two-out double off the bat of Kyle Skipworth.

Skipworth, on his 12th double of the season, forced a tie ballgame and sent the contest into extra innings after both teams posted zeros in the final two innings of regulation.

Both teams waged war during the rounds of bonus baseball, with each team seeing opportunities to score come and go. Pete Andrelczyk (2-4) came on to shut down the RiverDogs with a scoreless 11th inning, but took the loss after he found trouble in following inning.

Charleston began the inning with a single, but advanced the runner to second base on a sac bunt. A defensive miscue during the next play allowed runners to reach first and second safely with just one out. Andrelczyk fanned the next hitter for the second out, but surrendered three consecutive hits after the strikeout to put Charleston back on top by three.

The Hoppers came to bat in the bottom half of the 12th needing three runs to continue the contest, but were retired in order by Jonathan Ortiz, who struck out all three batters he faced to pick up his fifth save of the season.

With the loss, the Hoppers (45-53) have lost two games in a row, and have dropped every series but one in the second half. They look to jump on the Savannah Sand Gnats early in their upcoming series, as the Hoppers host game one against the Gnats tomorrow at NewBridge Bank Park.

Will Cornelius
Media Relations, Intern
Greensboro Grasshoppers Baseball