After clinching the series Saturday night with a 6-2 win, the Spartanburgers, playing as the Spartanburger Sluggers — the city’s negro league team that played their home games in Duncan Park for 24 years from 1928-1952, looked to repeat the feat they pulled in Asheville a month ago by winning five of the six contests as well as a fifth in a row.
DJ McCarty (1-3, 6.25 ERA) would be called on to try and make that happen, getting off to a fantastic start. Aside from a one out walk to Caden Powell and a disengagement violation that advanced him to second, McCarty struck out the side. Hub City rewarded that in the home half.
Yeison Morrobel led off with a single, and after consecutive one out walks to Hector Osorio and Paxton Kling, the Sluggers scratched across two on a very strange play. Luke Hanson grounded to short, hustling down the line to stay out of a double play after Kling was forced 6-4. Hanson picked up an RBI when Morrobel trotted home on the play, however a second run came across when the first baseman threw to third trying to get Hector Osorio.The throw went awry, allowing Hector to come in and advancing Hanson ninety feet, but he was left on when Gleider Figuereo flied to right to end the inning with the Sluggers up 2-0.
McCarty worked out of trouble in the ensuing half inning after a walk to Alejandro Nunez followed by a Cesar Hernandez single to start the frame. McCarty caught Nunez stealing at third for the first out while Hernandez advanced on the play. Jack Moss went down on strikes and John Garcia grounded to third to keep the Tourists off the board.
The Sluggers put up another big number in the bottom of the third on a rally that started when Morrobel drew a walk. With one out, Osorio singled and Kling was hit on the hand by a pitch (later to be taken down for Chandler Pollard). Luke Hanson reached on a fielding error charged to the shortstop, advancing to second on the play and scoring Morrobel. With two away, Maxton Martin sent one into the visiting bullpen in right for a three-run homer, opening up a 7-0 Slugger lead heading to the fourth.
Dj McCarty would go on to toss both his and Hub City’s third quality start of the season— the last against Rome back on May 24th, throwing six shutout frames with two hits and walks to go with eight strikeouts. Jesús Gamez worked around a leadoff walk to Nunez, getting Hernandez to ground into a 6-3 double play and striking out Jack Moss for a scoreless seventh.
The Sluggers struck for another out of the stretch after loading the bases with one out. Moore doubled and Osorio followed with a walk. With two down, Hanson and Figuereo both drew bases on balls, with Figuereo’s forcing in Moore. Martin grounded out to second to leave the sacks full, but the lead was 8-0 heading to the eighth.
Adrian Rodriguez worked his way out of a bases-loaded one out jam after sandwiching a single to Kyle Walker between walks to Zach Daudet and Powell. But, he struck out the next two to leave the sacks full, preserving the shutout.
The Sluggers once again filled the bags with one out in the home half, capitalizing on a hit by pitch to Carter Garate, a walk to Morrobel, and a single from Moore with an RBI groundout to third from Osorio to up the lead to 9-0 heading to the ninth. Cole Stasio kept it there with a three up three down frame, securing a 5-win week for the Burgers and another win playing as the Sluggers.
Hub City (33-29) will make the trip to Maryland Tuesday as they open a series with the Frederick Keys to wrap up the first half of the season. First pitch is set for 7:00 PM with matchups yet to be determined.
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