Sunday’s News & Notes

Syracuse 4 Pawtucket 1
• Hill (W, 6-1) 7IP, 5H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• Mattheus 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Souza 3-4, 2B, 2RBI, 10-game hit streak
• Rhymes 2-4, R, RBI

After hanging seven zeroes on the top of the scoreboard, Taylor Hill got the rest of the night off when his teammates put up four in the last of the 7th as the Chiefs won their fifth straight, 4-1. Hill improved to 6-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.63 while allowing just five hits, no walks and fanning four. Steve Souza went 3-for-4 and extended his hit streak to 10 games while Will “Don’t Call Me Buster” Rhymes went 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Syracuse no. 2-3 hitters combined for five of the team’s seven hits. Former Chief Corey Brown homered in the 9th off Mike Gonzalez to break up the shutout. Roster moves: RHP Christian Garcia placed on 3-Day Temporary Inactive List (retroactive to 5/22), IF Zach Walters optioned from Washington.

Harrisburg 8 Bowie 5
• Poveda (W, 1-1) 5IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 7K, 2HR
• Holland (SV, 1) 2⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K, 1-0 IR-S
• Taylor 2-4, 2B, BB, RBI, SB
• Sanchez 2-2, 2B, RBI
• Skole 2-4, 2B, RBI

Perhaps the third time was the charm as the Senators victimized BaySox pitcher Tyler Wilson, who beat them in his first two starts, for six runs on nine hits and three walks en route to an 8-5 victory. Omar Poveda was less ineffective in his second turn in the rotation, allowing three runs on three hits, including two home runs, with no walks and seven strikeouts over five innings for his first AA win of ’14. Five Senators would notch multiple hits, with Michael Taylor and Jason Martinson both reaching base three times with two hits and a walk while stealing a base to lead the Harrisburg attack. Roster move: 1B Adam LaRoche removed from roster (end of MLB rehab).

Salem 7 Potomac 6 (10 inn.)
• Spann 5IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 4K, HR
• Self 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• Benincasa (BS, 2; L, 3-1) ⅓ IP, 2H, 2R, 0BB, 0K, HR(5)
• Pleffner 2-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Oduber 2-4, R
• Renda 0-1, R, 3BB

After taking a 6-5 lead in the top of the 10th, it took just three batters for Potomac reliever Robert Benincasa to finish the game. Unfortunately, that was single-flyout-homer as Salem’s Kevin Heller smacked a two-run blast for 7-6 walkoff for the Red Sox. It was the first loss, the second blown save, and the fifth HR for Benincasa, whose line is now 6.50/6.37/1.61 in 18 innings. Matthew Spann started and went the first five innings, giving up two runs on five hits (one of which was a Heller solo shot), with no walks and five strikeouts. Shawn Pleffner extended his modest hit streak to six games with a 2-for-5 night, scoring a run and driving in a run to lead the Potomac offense. Roster move: RHP Ian Dickson reassigned from Hagerstown.

Hagerstown 7 Asheville 3
• Johansen (W, 4-1) 5IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 5BB, 3K, 2WP
• Webb (H, 2) 3IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, K
• Wooten 3-3, R, 2B, BB, RBI, SB
• Kieboom 2-5, 2R, 3B, RBI
• Ward 2-5, R, RBI

The Suns scorched the Tourists for a pair of three-run innings in the early going and cruised to 7-3 win. Jake Johansen would need that cushion as he put on 10 baserunners — five hits, five walks — in five innings but managed to let in just two while striking out three for his fourth win. The 3-4-5 batters John Wooten, Spencer Kieboom, and Drew Ward combined for seven hits, four runs scored, a double (Wooten), a triple (Kieboom), and three RBI. The Hagerstown lineup saw eight of nine batters reach base, including 10 hits and seven walks as they assumed the title of the top offense in the Sally League with 253 runs scored in 47 games (5.38 R/G).
Roster moves: RHP Ryan Ullmann reassigned from Potomac; RHP Michael Sylvestri reassigned to Auburn; LHP David Ramos activated from XST.