The second half of the season began over the weekend in Frederick, where Hub City dropped two of the three to come back home with a reset record sitting at 1-2. Tuesday night, they began a six game set with the Winston-Salem Dash, who were also 1-2 on the half.
Enrique Segura (1-2, 7.37 ERA) got the start opposite right hander Riley Eikhoff (0-0, 2.57) and was immediately put in a tight spot when shortstop Kyle Lodise led off by reaching on a fielding error charged to Gleider Figuereo at third. Second baseman Ryan Burrowes followed it with a two-run homer. Kaleb Freeman then worked a walk on a full count, but would become the second out of the frame when he was picked off to follow a strikeout of right fielder George Wolkow. A ground ball to short got Segura out of the frame, limiting the damage to just two.
In the home half, Gleider Figuereo cut that deficit with a two out 415 foot solo homer. Much more could have been done with the inning as Hector Osorio started it with a single, but was later forced at second on a fielder’s choice Luke Hanson reached on. The second out came shortly thereafter when Hanson was caught stealing. Quincy Scoti II flied to left to end the inning with the Dash up 2-1.
Segura played with fire in the ensuing half inning, which began in a near mirror of the first — this time a fielding error charged to Scott to put DH James Taussig aboard. After a walk to third baseman Arxy Hernandez, Ely Brown popped up to short and left fielder Alex Ungar grounded into a fielder’s choice, reaching while Taussig was forced at third for the second out. Lodise then lined to right to leave two aboard.
Three pitches into the home half of the frame, Maxton Martin deposited a liner into the bullpen for a game-tying solo shot. Ben Hartl was later plunked in the elbow guard with one away, but he was left on thanks to back to back fly balls, sending the game to the third inning knotted at two apiece.
Segura got two quick outs in the top half, but gave up a solo homer to Wolkow followed by a walk to catcher Boston Smith, who later advanced on a wild pitch. But he was left on when Taussig whiffed to retire the side with Winston-Salem ahead 3-2. Hub City squandered a leadoff base hit from Osorio in the home half, which the Dash made them pay for in the top of the fourth.
With one away, center fielder Ely Brown tripled to left past the diving Chandler Pollard. That was followed by an RBI single from Ungar, who was later caught stealing for the third out after Lodise was retired on strikes to make for a 4-2 Winston-Salem lead heading to the fifth.
Segura was taken down after four and two thirds, having given up four runs (three earned) on four hits with just as many walks and strikeouts. He was relieved by Cole Roland, who kept the Dash off the board for another two and a third in which he struck out five with no walks and just one hit.
Both teams threatened, spanning the bottom of the seventh and the top of the eighth respectively. Consecutive one out singles from Ben Hartl and Carter Garate followed by a Chandler Pollard sac fly put runners on the corners, but Osorio popped up to third to end the inning.
In the ensuing half, Winston-Salem loaded the bases on Adrian Rodriguez after a leadoff single from Smith, a walk to Taussig, and a one out free pass to Brown. But like Tyler Matzek in 2021, Rodriguez wormed out of it by striking out the next two.
Jesus Gamez struck out the side in the top of the ninth after Hub City once again went down in order, setting up a dramatic bottom of the ninth. Martin and Macias drew consecutive walks to start the frame. With one out, Garate drew a base on balls to load the bases. The parade of walks continued as Pollard and Osorio picked up RBIs on back to back free passes to tie the game at four, prompting the call to the bullpen.
The change worked at first, as Luke Hanson popped up to 2nd for the second out. But, the first pitch to Gleider Figuereo got away for a passed ball, scoring Garate as the winning run for a 5-4 victory for Hub City.
The series continues on Wednesday night at 6:35 as J’Briell Easley (0-1, 4.60 ERA) faces an arm yet to be named.
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