Saturday’s News & Notes — Playoff Edition

Harrisburg 4 Erie 1
• Karns (W, 1-0) 7IP, 5H, 0R, 0BB, 8K
• Herron (SV, 2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Goodwin 2-3, R, BB, RBI, SB
• Bloxom 2-4, 2B, RBI

Nathan Karns shut down the Seawolves for seven innings as the Senators won, 4-1 and took a 2-1 lead in the ELDS. Karns walked none and struck out eight and needed just 79 pitches to lay the seven goose eggs atop the scoreboard. The shutout was broken up in the 8th when Christian Garcia walked two of three batters faced and Erie connected for a two-out RBI single off Richie Mirowski. Tyler Herron closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth. Brian Goodwin reached base three times with a walk and two singles and scored on an RBI double off the bat of Justin Bloxom (2-for-4) as Harrisburg notched seven hits, including a solo HR by Jason Martinson.
Roster move: RHP Christian Garcia reassigned from Potomac to Harrisburg for MLB Rehab.

Potomac — OFF DAY
After eliminating the 2012 Mills Cup Champs, Potomac starts its quest for its third Carolina League championship as a Nats affiliate with two games against Salem. The Red Sox come to Woodbridge as winners of 19 of their last 22 games — a streak that includes seven wins against the defeated playoff teams, Lynchburg and Myrtle Beach. During the regular season, the P-Nats won 10 of 18 games, but haven’t played the S-Sox since late July, when the two teams split ten games over a three-week period. Matt Purke^* who beat Salem for his first High-A win on July 29, is the probable for Potomac but Salem has yet to show its hand as to which of its remaining three starters — Mike Aguilera (9-6, 4.23), Heri Quevedo (6-5, 4.18), William Cuevas (8-9, 5.05) — will oppose him in Game One.
^{* Psst… new PA guy: it rhymes with turk, not turkey.}

West Virginia 6 Hagerstown 3 (11 inn.)
• Encarnacion 4+ IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 5K
• Bacus 4IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 4K, 2-1 IR-S
• Thomas (L, 0-1) ⅓ IP, 1H, 2R, 2ER, BB, K
• Harper ⅔ IP, 2H, R, ER, 0BB, K, 3-2 IR-S
• Ballou 2-3, 2R, 2B
• Renda 3-5, 2B

Josh Bell powered West Virginia’s 6-3 win with a two-run double in the 11th to force a deciding Game Three in Hagerstown tonight. The switch-hitting outfielder had four RBI total, tying the game in the 5th with a sacrifice fly and again in the 7th with an RBI groundout. This was in stark contrast to the Suns, who went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left on seven men. Isaac Ballou (2-for-3), Tony Renda (3-for-5), and Pedro Severino (2-for-4) scored all three runs and combined for seven of the eight Hagerstown hits. Pedro Encarnacion went the first four innings and allowed the first two Power runs on five hits and two walks while fanning five. Dakota Bacus and Gilberto Mendez combined for six innings of one-run relief before the fateful 11th. The final frame began with Justin Thomas for three batters and one out, Cody Davis for one batter (single), and ended with Bryan Harper giving up the bases-loaded double to Bell (could have been worse: the runner from first was gunned down on a 7-6-2 play at the plate) and a single before striking out the final batter.