SALEM, Virginia (Salem Red Sox)– The Red Sox blasted 17 hits Wednesday night at Haley Toyota Field to drop the Wilmington Blue Rocks 8-3 in Game One of the Carolina League North Division Championship.
How it Happened
* Salem attacked in the first inning. Garrett Benge led-off with a double, Ryan Fitzgerald singled to place runners at the corners and Devlin Granberg cleared the bases with a blast to grab a 3-0 lead. Keith Curcio tripled and scored on a double by Kole Cottam. The Sox batted around by the inning’s close to advance 4-0.
* Curcio homered in the second inning and the Sox climbed ahead 5-0.
* Granberg singled in fourth inning and scored on a deep single from Curcio for a 6-0 advantage.
* Wilmington chipped away to a 6-3 difference with RBI doubles from MJ Melendez, Ricky Aracena and Nick Pratto across the fifth and sixth innings.
* Enmanuel DeJesus exited after 5.2 innings, allowing three runs with five strikeouts.
* Grant Williams reached safely in the sixth on an error when Garrett Benge destroyed Salem’s third home run to push back to an 8-3 difference.
* Dylan Thompson, Yoan Aybar and Joan Martinez shut down the final 3.1 innings of no-hit ball to shut the door.
Standout Sox
* Keith Curcio: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, HR, 3B
* Garrett Benge: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, HR, 2 2B
* Devlin Granberg: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 R, HR
* Kole Cottam: 3-for-5, RBI, 2 2B
* Enmanuel DeJesus: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K – W (1-0)
Noteworthy
* The three home runs tie the season team record. Salem hit three against Fayetteville 7/1.
* The 17 hits is a new franchise record for a playoff game, the previous was 11.
* The nine extra-base hits is a new franchise playoff record, previously set at six.
* Garrett Benge’s three extra-base hits is a new individual franchise playoff record.
* Devlin Granberg’s home run was his first in Salem uniform.
* Keith Curcio finished a double shy of the cycle.
What’s Next
Salem Red Sox vs Wilmington Blue Rocks, September 5, 2019. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM EST.
RHP Thaddeus Ward vs RHP Jonathan Bowlan
Listen: SalemSox.com, TuneIn Radio, ESPN Blacksburg WKEX 1430 AM/94.1 FM, WGMN 1240 AM/93.3 FM
Watch: MiLB.TV
