Wood Ducks Sweep the Dash in Sunday Doubleheader

KINSTON, NC - The Wood Ducks (25-18) swept the Dash (23-19) behind 20 hits and 17 runs scored, all while only allowing three earned runs in the two victories. Down East moves into first place in the south division by a game and a half, and owns the best record in the Carolina League.

GAME ONE
Both teams started quiet through the first three innings. Right-hander Steven Bruce made his home debut in 2018 for the Wood Ducks and struck out three in his afternoon.
The offense was stagnant against Luis Martinez, who retired the first nine batters of the game in order. Then five straight hits for the DEWDs in the fourth produced three runs on an RBI single from Anderson Tejeda and a two-run double from Alex Kowalczyk.
Later in the frame with the bases loaded, Josh Altmann dropped a single into left to score two more runs and push the lead out to 5-0. While the Dash would score the next four runs to make it a one-run game, the Woodies weren't done.
They posted another five-run inning in the sixth - highlighted by Leody Taveras's three-run homer to right-center - his third of the season. Andretty Cordero and Matt Whatley added RBIs earlier in the inning with a single and a sacrifice fly respectively.
Every Wood Duck batter either scored a run or drove in a run in the first game of the doubleheader. Kaleb Fontenot worked extended relief and earned the win by working a career-high two and two-thirds from the bullpen.
GAME TWO
Down East picked up right where it left off from game one with three straight hits to open the game. Tejeda's single to left scored Eric Jenkins from second base to open the scoring early. Two batters later, Cordero unloaded on the first pitch he saw for a three-run homer to left.
Christian Torres took the run support and ran with it. The southpaw tossed a career-high six shutout innings and only allowed four hits in his fourth win of the season. His 2.84 ERA joins teammates Edgar Arredondo (2.65) and Jonathan Hernández (2.23) as starters underneath a 3.00 ERA. 
Jenkins had an RBI of his own with an RBI single in the fourth inning, marking his fifth multi-hit game with the Wood Ducks in only his 11th game. The Woodies returned to the long ball in the fifth inning when Kowalczyk went to the opposite field for his fourth of the season.
Then Cordero became the fourth different Wood Duck this season to have a multi-homer game with a solo shot to left field. Sunday was his first career two-homer game and it put the Woodies ahead 7-0.
Anthony Goes relieved Torres for the final frame, and retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts. It was Gose's second appearance with the Wood Ducks and he's now pitched in both shutouts this season for Down East. 
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The Wood Ducks are the first team in the league to 25 wins in 2018 and move into first place by 1.5 games. Last season, it took the Wood Ducks 71 games to win 25 and weren't in solo first place until the last day of the regular season.
They hit the road for a four-game series against the Carolina Mudcats (21-22) at Five County Stadium on Monday at 7:00 p.m. Right-hander Emerson Martinez (2-3, 4.30) will take the mound against the Mudcats.