Winston-Salem claims offensive slugfest in opener

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (Aug. 18, 2017) - Behind a 14-run, 16-hit offensive surge in which the Dash scored in six of their nine offensive frames, Winston-Salem outslugged the Potomac Nationals 14-6 on Friday evening in the series opener at Pfitzner Stadium.
Six Dash batters tallied multi-hit games, with Joel Booker, Seby Zavala, Brady Conlan and Matt Rose netting two-hit games and Daniel Gonzalez and Yeyson Yrizarri posting three-hit efforts. In total, Winston-Salem's 14 runs marked a new season-best for the club, while the Dash tied a season-high with six doubles in the contest. Nine of Winston's 16 hits went for extra bases.

The Dash (26-29, 50-75) opened the scoring in the second on an RBI groundout from Louis Silverio in the second, plating Rose who doubled to begin the frame. Winston-Salem would tack on three more in the third on Booker and Zavala's RBI singles off Potomac starter Taylor Guilbeau (4-4). 
After the P-Nats (24-29, 57-66) scored three in the third against Jimmy Lambert (4-2) to make it a one-run game, the Dash netted a run in the fourth on an errant pickoff throw from Guilbeau that allowed Gonzalez to come home from third and make it 5-3. 
Winston racked up its first of two four-run frames in the fifth, with Rose blasting an RBI double and Silverio lofting a sacrifice fly before Guilbeau was removed for Ronald Pena. Yrizarri greeted Pena by lacing a two-run single, scoring Conlan and Gonzalez to make it 9-3 Dash.
The Nationals fought back with two in their half of the fifth in Lambert's final inning of work to push it to 9-5, as Tyler Beckwith and Daniel Johnson smacked back-to-back shots to leadoff the frame. Overall, the Fresno State product allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts.
In the eighth, Winston-Salem flexed its muscle, as Yrizarri blistered a three-run shot to left field, his first with the Dash, and Zavala cranked a solo homer, his seventh at the High-A level, to help Winston notch its second four-run frame of the evening. Silverio would cap the Dash's offensive outburst with a mammoth blast to left field in the ninth, his first roundtripper since June 18.
Yrizarri, in his 3-for-4 effort, extended his hitting streak to six games and posted a career-best five RBIs. In his last nine games, the former Rangers farmhand is batting .500 (15-for-30) with a homer, five RBIs and nine runs scored. 
In relief of Lambert, Ryan Burr, Mick VanVossen, and Drew Hasler tossed the final four innings for Winston-Salem, combining to surrender just one run on four hits with three strikeouts.
The Dash continue their three-game series against the Nationals on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. from Pfitzner Stadium. Winston-Salem will send right-hander A.J. Puckett (9-7, 3.95 ERA) to the mound in the middle match against Potomac righty Sterling Sharp (2-1, 5.06 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. and will be available at wsdash.com/broadcast and via the TuneIn Radio App.
After this quick three-game set in Woodbridge, #YourHomeTeam wraps up its home slate in 2017 with a six-game homestand from August 22-27 against the Carolina Mudcats and Buies Creek Astros. This stretch will double as "Fan Appreciation Week", presented by North Davidson Veterinary Hospital, with two promotions on tap for each of the remaining contests. Among these promotions are an All-You-Can-Eat Night on Wednesday, Warthogs Night on Thursday and a PTI Airport Fireworks show on Friday.
Tickets start as low as $8, and each game during Fan Appreciation Week is a Pups in the Park Night, with Pooch Passes available for just $5. Proceeds from Pooch Passes go to a local animal-related charity. For more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.