With the series already dropped, Hub City looked to ensure they would not get swept without having to salvage the finale as on Saturday afternoon, Izack Tiger (0-4, 13.50 ERA) took on right hander Cade Kuehler (9-4, 5.42).
Tiger worked a scoreless frame despite Alex Lodise reaching on a fielding error charged to first baseman Antonis Macias and for the first time all series, the Burgers picked up a lead — an early one at that.
Paxton Kling led off the home half of the first with a single. After he stole 2nd, Casey Cook was hit by a pitch, and following a successful double steal, Luke Hanson drew a walk to put Burgers on the grill. Out of all that, they would get just one run out of it when Gleider Figuereo grounded into a 3-6-1 double play.
Tiger struck out the side in the top of the second and the Spartanburgers looked to have something brewing again in the bottom half when Marcos Torres was hit in the foot. But, the story of the inning was that for all the success Hub City had stealing bases in the first, they did not have any in the second. Torres was immediately gunned out and after Macias drew a walk, with two away he was caught stealing to end the inning.
Tiger once again K’d the side in the third save for a two out walk to John Gil. In the ensuing half, the Burgers at last hung a crooked number in this series thanks to a 6-spot, all of which came with two out. Hub City sent nine to the plate, starting with the second hit by pitch to Cook of the day. Hanson followed with a base hit and Figuereo walked to load the sacks. Martin followed with a two-run double that, paired with an errant throw in from right, cleared the bases.
Marcos Torres kept the line moving with an RBI knock and then Macias capped the rally with a two-run rocket to the home bullpen in right, making for a 7-0 lead heading to the fourth.
Tiger’s final inning was a three up three down frame, ending his day with no runs, a no-hitter, a walk, and seven strikeouts. After Rome kept the Burgers off the scoreboard with their first 1-2-3 inning of the day, Owen Proksch ran into some trouble in the top half of the fifth.
With one away, Dallas Macias reached on a fielding error charged to Figuereo at third. Shortly after, an errant pickoff put a man in scoring position. With two out, former Gamecock Colin Burgess singled to break both the no-hitter as well as the shutout and Gil followed with a two-run shot to the berm in left, making it a 7-3 game heading to the bottom of the frame, which would be Déjà vu to the first inning.
The Burgers loaded the bases with nobody out after a single from Hanson, a two-bagger from Figuereo, and a walk to Martin. Torres then grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing, scoring Hanson to make it 8-3 heading to the sixth.
Owen Proksch turned in a clean inning and Quincy Scott turned on the first pitch of the home half, sending it to the berm for a leadoff solo shot. Cook later walked with two away, but was left there when Hanson was rung up with the Burgers’ lead stretched to 9-3 going to the seventh.
Proksch had trouble finding the zone in the top of the eighth, walking Lodise and Owen Carey back to back to start the frame on eight pitches. Dixon Williams then singled to plate a run, later forced out on a run-scoring fielder’s choice from Mason Guerra. A 4-6-3 double play retired the side, but the Burgers’ advantage was trimmed to just three.
They got three runs back in the bottom half — all without a hit thanks to three bases loaded walks, giving RBIs to Figuereo, Martin, and Macias. In the end, Hub City left the sacks full, but doubled their lead, going to the ninth up 12-6. Brock Porter closed out the game with a three up three down frame, earning the win in relief — four innings, three earned runs on three hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.
With their 5-game losing skid snapped, Hub City will look to build momentum going to Bowling Green next week by closing the series with back to back wins. They’ll take their crack at it at 4:35 Sunday afternoon as Enrique Segura (1-3, 7.04) faces right hander Aiven Cabral (2-2, 2.84).
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