Astros Walk-Off on Woodies, Avoid Sweep

BUIES CREEK, NC - A hot start did not continue for the Wood Ducks (25-25, 49-70) in a 5-4 10-inning loss to the Astros (32-17, 69-50). Josh Altmann matched a season-high with three runs batted in and all nine starters reached base for the Woodies.

A tenth-inning walk-off double from Anibal Sierra sealed the Wood Ducks chances at their first sweep of the season. With the series win, Down East gains one game on the Astros to 7.5 games back with 20 games to go.
Down East showed no signs of previous struggles against Buies Creek starter Jorge Alcala thanks to two runs in the first. Altmann clocked a double off the wall in left with two outs and two strikes which allowed Josh Morgan and Yanio Perez to score.
The Astros threatened to form their own two-out rally in the bottom of the inning but Brett Martin ended the threat by leaving two runners stranded in scoring position with a groundout. He would work into the sixth inning with six strikeouts.
The second inning was underwhelming for the Woodies as they loaded the bases with no outs, but only managed a walk from LeDarious Clark to bring home one run. Altmann returned to the plate in the third and led off with his ninth home run of the year and his first since July 6th.
Despite the four runs to open the game in the first three innings, the Wood Ducks offense would fade by only managing three more hits after Altmann's homer. The Astros got on the board in the fourth thanks to a solo homer from Anthony Hermelyn.
The first four batters of the sixth reached against Martin in the sixth and brought home a run. He was pulled for Jeffrey Springs with the bases loaded and no outs against Randy César. With two strikes he blooped a single to shallow right which tied the game at 4. Springs would retire the next three batters in order to prevent any other damage.
The lefty struck out the side in the seventh and added one more in the eighth in his three innings of relief. Jacob Shortslef worked a scoreless ninth for the bullpen with two more K's for himself.
Offensively, the Wood Ducks left a runner in scoring position in each of the last three innings of the game before the walk-off in the bottom of the tenth.
Down East returns home for a seven-game home stand featuring four games with the Carolina Mudcats and three with the Astros again. You can listen to every pitch of the 2017 season live on Sports/Talk 960 The Bull or streamed on the TuneIn Radio app.