Salem Walks Off With A Win

By Jacob Ridgway
April 26, 2009

The most exciting thing fans had to cheer about through the first six innings of the Salem Red Sox baseball game Saturday was the free giveaways from Lewis-Gale Medical Center. 

Fans got a really good look at a pitcher's duel between Salem's Eammon Portice and Myrtle Beach's Jeffrey Locke, as the first six innings saw only three hits and took just over an hour to play.

The Pelicans had a 2-0 lead going into the seventh inning and were looking to shut out the Red Sox for the second night in a row.            

Through six innings, Myrtle Beach's Locke didn't allow a hit.

"Their guy [Locke] had great stuff tonight, and he wasn't making any mistakes," said Red Sox infielder Kris Negron.

According to Salem's first baseman, Mike Jones, Locke was doing more than not making any mistakes.

"He was frustrating us and putting a lot of pressure on us. ... He had great location, and his slider had a lot of movement tonight," Jones said.

Salem's Negron erased the no-hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning with a line drive into center field. Negron scored off Chih-Hsien Chiang's double to make the score 2-1.

Chang's double chased Locke from the mound, as Salem's bats started to get hot. However, Locke's exit was well received from the Red Sox crowd, as they cheered him for his seven strikeouts and six inning no-hit performance.

"That [Negron's hit] kind of opened things up a little bit for us. I think our kids' confidence was shaken up a little bit, and Negron was able to break through," said Red Sox manager Chad Epperson.

Myrtle Beach reliever, Michael Broadway, drilled Salem's William Vazquez in the back of the head on an 0-2 count in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving Salem's offense another spark.

"He had a slip in his arm delivery, it was a close game and he's [Broadway] trying to make outs. If you're afraid to get hit then you're in the wrong business," said Salem hitting coach, Carlos Febles.

Salem's Luis Segovia bunted Vazquez's pinch runner, Zak Farkes, over to second base to get the tying run into scoring position.  Farkes was able to tie the score at two when Matt Sheely drove a single into center field.

In the top of the ninth, Salem pitcher, Ryne Miller, allowed no hits and no walks to set the stage for a walk-off win for the Red Sox.

Salem's late inning heroics continued with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Jones hit a double into the right field gap, which brought the crowd to their feet for the first time in the game.

With one out, Chiang moved Jones to third with a groundball to second base.

The Salem crowd of 4,086 quieted when Red Sox catcher, Luis Exposito, fouled a pitch off with a 2-2 count that kept the game and his at-bat alive. Exposito didn't miss the next pitch, as he roped a single into center field that scored the game-winning run.

Pumping his fist as he reached first base, Exposito was mobbed by high-fives and a group hug from his teammates.

"I just tried to stay with my game plan. I didn't let the situation take over me, and I got a pitch to hit and took advantage of it," Exposito said.