The Undercards: Tim Beckham Leads Bulls to Comeback

With the way Wil Myers has been going lately, it is news when he doesn’t hit a home run. Fortunately for the Bulls, the rest of the offense was able to produce as well in their comeback victory against the Indianapolis Indians.

Durham Bulls 10, Indianapolis Indians (Pirates) 7

After Tony Sanchez hit a solo home run to give the Indians a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third, the Bulls took advantage of their baserunning to put some runs on the board. After an infield single to lead off the inning, Brandon Guyer stole second. After Tim Beckham reached on an error, they executed a double steal to put runners on second and third with no one out. With one out, two wild pitches by Indians starter Jeanmar Gomez allowed both runners to score, giving the Bulls a 2-1 lead. That lead would end up being short lived however, as Sanchez struck again in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded, he hit a two run double to center, putting Indianapolis back on top. The Indians extended the lead in the next inning, using a two run triple and a two run double to take a 7-2 lead. But the Bulls would not give up. After loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, Mike Fontenot cleared the bases with a double, then scored on a base hit by Jesus Flores. Durham reloaded the bases, and tied the game on a passed ball. Beckham then drove in the go ahead runs with a two run double, before finally coming around to score the final run of the game on a base hit by Wil Myers. After the offensive explosion in the fifth, both pitching staffs settled down, and the Bulls ended up with a 10-7 victory. Mike Montgomery picked up the win in relief despite a rough outing. He gave up six runs, with only two being earned, on four hits and four walks in 3.1 innings. Beckham finished the game 2-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Jacksonville Suns (Marlins) 8, Montgomery Biscuits 2

Jacksonville jumped out to the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Following a leadoff walk, Audy Ciriaco hit a two run home run to put the first runs of the game on the board. Two singles and a sacrifice fly added another run, and the Suns had a 3-0 lead heading into the fifth. In the fifth, the Biscuits rallied. Todd Glaesmann led off the inning with a double, and scored on a two out base hit by Robbie Price. Price scored one batter later, as Mark Thomas drove him in with a double of his own to cut the lead to 3-2. Unfortunately, that was as close as the Biscuits would get. Kyle Jensen homered in the sixth to give the Suns a 4-2 lead, and they scored twice more in both the seventh and eighth to seal the 8-2 victory over Montgomery. Jacob Thompson took the loss, giving up six runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out eight in 6.2 innings. No one on the Biscuits reached base more than once, as they were held to seven hits and a walk.

Tampa Yankees 2, Charlotte Stone Crabs 1 (Game One – Seven Innings)

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Yankees came out ready, putting runners on first and third with no one out. A sacrifice fly drove in Mason Williams with the first run of the game, as Tampa took a quick lead. The Stone Crabs came back in the bottom of the inning, when Drew Vettleson singled with one out, and scored on a double by Richie Shaffer. The Yankees had a prime opportunity to take the lead again in the third, loading the bases with no outs. However, Parker Markel struck out Ben Gamel for the first out, and got an inning ending double play to work out of the jam. Both Markel and Tampa starter Sean Black settled in from that point, as the score remained tied at one until the top of the seventh. Dan Fiorito singled to lead off the inning, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Robert Refsnyder then singled to drive in Fiorito with the winning run. Markel pitched well in the no decision, giving up one run on five hits and two walks in five innings. Lenny Linksy took the loss, giving up one run on two hits in one inning of work. Jake DePew went 2-3 in the loss.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 6, Tampa Yankees 4 (Game Two – Seven Innings)

The Stone Crabs struck first in the second game of the double header, as Curt Casali homered to lead off the bottom of the second. The Yankees came back in the third, loading the bases with two outs for Ben Gamel. Gamel delivered, clearing the bases with a three run double to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. Charlotte fought back however. Taylor Motter led off te third with a solo home run, and the Stone Crabs tied the game on by taking advantage of a spate of wildness from Tampa starter Scottie Allen. Drew Vettleson singled, then moved up to second and third on wild pitches. A third wild pitch allowed Vettleson to score, tying the game at 3-3. Vettleson made his presence felt again in the fourth. Taylor Motter doubled with two outs to bring Vettleson to the plate, and he delivered an RBI single to put the Stone Crabs in the lead. After the Yankees tied the game in the top of the inning, Jeff Malm hit a two run home run in the fifth to give Charlotte the lead once again, en route to the 6-4 victory. Felipe Rivero picked up the win in relief, allowing an unearned run on two hits and a walk in three innings. Vettleson was 2-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 7, Dayton Dragons (Reds) 3

The Dragons scored in the first on an interesting play. After Daniel Pigott doubled and moved to third on a base hit by Beau Amaral, Amaral attempted to steal second. As he was gunned down attempting to steal, Pigott broke from third, putting the Dragons on the board with a quick 1-0 lead. After both teams traded runs, the Dragons held a 2-1 lead heading into the top of the fifth. There, the Hot Rods tied the game once again, as Luke Maile hit a two out single to drive in Tyler Goeddel. Bowling Green broke the game open in the top of the sixth, scoring four times to take a 6-2 lead. Ryan Dunn doubled to drive in the first run of the inning, then scored on a double by Brandon Martin. With one out, the Hot Rods loaded the bases, and Tommy Coyle hit a two run single to cap the scoring. After Bowling Green tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, the Dragons got one back in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to close any further as the Hot Rods took the 7-3 victory. Dylan Floro earned the win, giving up two runs on ten hits, striking out five in six innings. Marty Gantt was 2-3 with two walks and a run scored. Coyle was 2-5 with a double and two RBIs in the victory.