Saturday’s News & Notes

Syracuse 4 Pawtucket 0
• Laffey (W, 5-2) 9IP, 4H, 0R, BB, 9K
• Burriss 3-4, 2R, BB, 2SB
• Souza 2-4, RBI
• Peterson 1-3, R, BB, RBI

Well, maybe Aaron Laffey ain’t so “bad” after all. The veteran southpaw spun a four-hit shutout as the Chiefs extended their win streak to four with a 4-0 win vs. Pawtucket. He walked one, struck out nine, and threw 74 of 108 pitches for strikes. Emmanuel Burris reached based four times with a walk and three singles while swiping a pair of bases from the leadoff spot to literally lead the Syracuse offense. Steve Souza singled twice to push his hit streak to nine games and raise his batting average to .351 with a 16-for-36 surge.

Bowie 5 Harrisburg 4
• Kroenke 4IP, 7H, 4R, 2ER, 2BB, 3K, HR, WP
• Dupra (L, 1-1) 4IP, 4H, R, ER, 0BB, 2K, HR
• Taylor 2-5, R, HR, 2RBI, 3K
• Latimore 2-3, R, BB

Apparently, the only way Harrisburg can score with the bases loaded is by a walk, an error, or an out. For the second time this week, the Senators couldn’t get a hit in that situation, going 0-for-5 with a Matt Skole walk, and the missed opportunities would haunt them in a 5-4 loss to Bowie. Zach Kroenke made his first start in place of Matt Purke and had similar success with four runs (two earned) on seven hits (one home run) and two walks over four innings. Brian Dupra went the next four but got the loss when he served up a solo shot in the 8th to break a 4-4 tie, one of four hits allowed with no walks and two K’s. Michael Taylor went 2-for-5 with a home run (no. 12) and three strikeouts (nos. 63, 64, 65) to keep his Eastern League lead in both categories.

Salem 8 Potomac 2
• Pena (L, 3-2) 5IP, 8H, 6R, 6ER, BB, 2K, HR
• Ullmann 3IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K
• Pleffner 3-3, BB
• Mesa 2-4, 2B, RBI

Potomac had chances to score in every inning, but only plated two while leaving 11 on in an 8-2 loss to Salem. Ronald Pena took the loss, giving up the first six on eight hits and a walk over the first five innings. Ryan Ullmann gave up the next two Red Sox runs on four hits over three innings with no walks and three strikeouts in his High-A debut. Shawn Pleffner singled three times and walked once to push his average to .320 while Narciso Mesa (2-for-4) doubled in the 9th for the lone P-Nat hit in 11 RISP chances. The loss was Potomac’s fifth straight to Salem since July 2013, including the three-game sweep in last September’s Mills Cup Finals.

Hagerstown 6 Asheville 5
• Voth 5IP, 5H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 7K
• Thomas (W, 2-4) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, K
• Kieboom 3-5, R, 2-2B
• Ward 2-5, R, 2-2B, 2RBI
• Bautista 2-3, RBI, 2SB (19, 20)

James Yezzo delivered with one out and the bases loaded with a two-run single for 6-5 walkoff win for Hagerstown. Asheville led early with four runs off starter Austin Voth in the 1st. The 21-y.o. recovered with four scoreless innings to finish with five hits and one walk allowed with seven whiffs. Every Suns batter reached bases as they pounded out 14 hits, including four doubles — two apiece for Spencer Kieboom (3-for-5) and Drew Ward (2-for-5, 2RBI), and stole three bases — two by Sally League leader Rafael Bautista, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI.