Hill's walk-off hit buoys Blue Rocks
The Carolina League will feature two winner-take-all games to determine the Mills Cup Finals matchup.In its second straight walk-off win, Wilmington got an RBI single in the 10th inning from Tyler Hill and edged Salem, 5-4, in Game 4 of the best-of-5 semifinal series on Saturday at Frawley Stadium.
The Carolina League will feature two winner-take-all games to determine the Mills Cup Finals matchup.
In its second straight walk-off win, Wilmington got an RBI single in the 10th inning from Tyler Hill and edged Salem, 5-4, in Game 4 of the best-of-5 semifinal series on Saturday at Frawley Stadium.
Gameday box score
The Blue Rocks, who scored twice in the bottom of the ninth on Friday for a 3-2 win, thwarted the Red Sox in the top of the 10th after cutting down a runner at the plate to set the stage for more late-game dramatics.
Ricky Aracena was placed at second base to begin the Blue Rocks' half of the frame and moved to third on a bunt by Royals No. 10 prospect Nick Pratto. With runners on the corners, Logan Browning (0-1) left a 1-1 pitch in the strike zone and Hill -- who spent last season with Salem -- stroked a single to left field to drive in Aracena with the winning run.
Scoreless through seven, the Red Sox broke the ice in the eighth as Ryan Fitzgerald raced home on a wild pitch by reliever Josh Dye.
Wilmington did not wilt. Eighth-ranked Royals prospect Kyle Isbel led off the home half of the frame with a base hit off Joan Martinez and scored on a double by No. 15 prospect -- and Friday's hero -- Brewer Hicklen. With one out against Yoan Aybar, Pratto lined a single to right to plate Hicklen with the go-ahead run. No. 9 prospect MJ Melendez followed with a two-run double to put the Blue Rocks ahead, 4-1.
Salem counterpunched in the ninth and scored three times against Tad Ratliff, getting back-to-back two-out RBI doubles from Grant Williams and Garrett Benge.
Andrew Beckwith (1-0), the Blue Rocks' fourth pitcher, struck out one in the 10th for the win.
Complete playoff coverage
Blue Rocks starter and Royals No. 12 prospect Austin Cox -- who only had one 1-2-3 frame, the first -- scattered seven hits across six frames and struck out eight.
Red Sox counterpart Jhonathan Diaz worked with two runners on base in the first two innings before retiring 12 of the final 13 batters he faced. The left-hander went six innings and allowed two hits and three walks while punching out eight.
Game 5 is Sunday at Wilmington.
In other Carolina League action:
Wood Ducks 5, Woodpeckers 4 (8 innings)
Down East and Fayetteville split a doubleheader to set up another Game 5 on Sunday in Kinston, N.C. In the opener, Rangers No. 2 prospectSam Huff scored on Yohel Pozo's one-out, bases-loaded single in the eighth inning for 2-1 series lead. Tenth-ranked Rangers prospect Sherten Apostel went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer for the Wood Ducks. Astros No. 9 prospectJeremy Pena led off the game with a dinger. Gameday box score
Woodpeckers 7, Wood Ducks 2
In the nightcap, Fayetteville knotted the series, 2-2 as Astros No. 29 prospect Luis Garcia yielded two runs on five hits and a walk across six innings. He struck out 10, reaching double digits for the fifth time in six starts. Ruben Castro was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored, while David Hensley added three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice. Apostel and Rangers No. 25 prospect Julio Pablo Martinez homered for Down East. Gameday box score
Duane Cross is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @DuaneCrossMiLB.
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