Winston-Salem Walks-Off Brooklyn, 9-8
WINSTON-SALEM, NC (August 31st, 2024) – Trailing by a run going into the bottom of the ninth and with a runner on, Wes Kath launched his 15th homer of the season to right, sending the Winston-Salem Dash home winners over the Brooklyn Cyclones, 9-8, on Saturday night at Truist Stadium
WINSTON-SALEM, NC (August 31st, 2024) – Trailing by a run going into the bottom of the ninth and with a runner on, Wes Kath launched his 15th homer of the season to right, sending the Winston-Salem Dash home winners over the Brooklyn Cyclones, 9-8, on Saturday night at Truist Stadium in front of 6,911 fans.
Brooklyn (60-65) started quickly for the second night in a row. Winston-Salem (57-68) gave the ball to first round pick Hagen Smith who surrendered a run in the top of the first, but in the bottom of the frame, the Dash answered. Winston-Salem loaded the bases and Ryan Galanie singled home a run tying the game, 1-1.
After the first, Smith settled in but was on a pitch count and was pulled with two outs in the third. In the fourth against the Dash bullpen, the Cyclones stringed together three straight hits, plating three runs, taking a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Winston-Salem started to chip away, plating a run on a throwing error and a ground out, cutting the deficit to one, 4-3, after five innings.
The Cyclones wasted no time getting the two runs right back in the top of the sixth. Nick Morabito hit a solo homer to left field and Boston Baro scored on a RBI single from Ronald Hernandez, building the lead back to three, 6-3.
Even after giving the two runs right back, the Winston-Salem offense was not deterred. Galanie walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth while Calvin Harris and Samuel Zavala followed with singles loading the bases with no outs. Galanie and Harris both scored on a fielder’s choice and sacrifice fly making it a one run game again, 6-5, heading into the seventh.
After a shutdown inning from Jared Kelley in the top of the seventh, the Dash struck in the bottom of the frame. Caden Connor drew a walk to lead off the inning putting the tying run on base for Casey Saucke. The 4th round pick by the White Sox in this year’s draft missed a grand slam by two feet back in the first, and in the seventh, he did not miss.
Saucke got an off-speed pitch down and in and turned on it, blasting his second homer of the season to left, putting Winston-Salem in front for the first time, 7-6.
The lead was short-lived for the Dash. In the top of the eighth, Nick Morabito tied the game with a single while Kevin Villavicencio scored on a wild pitch, giving the Cyclones the lead again, 8-7.
Jarold Rosado worked a quick top of the ninth inning, keeping the deficit at one with the Dash having one last chance.
Saucke led off the inning with a single putting the tying run on base and bringing the winning run to the plate. Wes Kath, who walked off the Cyclones on Thursday, wasted no time picking up his second walk-off of the week. Kath got a breaking ball down and in and turned on it, clearing the bridge in right and sending Winston-Salem home winners, 9-8.
The Dash and Cyclones meet for the series finale on Sunday evening. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. from Truist Stadium.