Dash vs. Hudson Valley: Game #68 Preview
Winston-Salem Salsa (34–33) vs. Hudson Valley Renegades (34–33)
Saturday, June 25–6 p.m.
Truist Stadium (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Game 67 Recap
The Winston-Salem Salsa pulled out a narrow 2–1 win over the Hudson Valley Renegades.
The first game of the second half of the season unfolded as a bona fide pitcher’s duel.
Chase Solesky took the ball for Winston-Salem and worked a scoreless first frame. For Hudson Valley, Beck Way returned the favor in the bottom of the first.
In the top of the second inning though, Tyler Hardman crushed the first pitch he saw out towards the walkway in left field, for a solo home run.
Solesky held the deficit at just 1–0 into the bottom of the fourth, when the Salsa clawed back.
Colson Montgomery, the White Sox top overall prospect, delivered a leadoff home run to tie the game at 1–1. That also extended his on-base streak to 33 consecutive games.
Both starters continued to dominate through the sixth inning. Way was lifted with two outs in the sixth but turned in a very solid line of 5.2 innings, 1 earned run, and five punchouts. Solesky, on the other hand, worked six full frames, with just the one run to his line and five strikeouts as well.
Skyler Arias relieved Solesky and worked a 1–2–3 top of the seventh with a pair of swinging strikeouts. Then in the home half, Luis Mieses smoked a one-out double into the right-center field gap. Adam Hackenberg then pushed Mieses to third with a fielder’s choice groundout. Up next was Harvin Mendoza, he chopped a grounder to shortstop, but the throw to first was wide of the bag, and Mieses scored on the defensive miscue.
Arias worked a scoreless eighth inning, before turning the ball over to Vince Vannelle for the ninth. Vannelle allowed a single but ultimately struck out three Renegades to preserve a 2–1 Winston-Salem win. He got the save, with Solesky earning the win, and Carlos Gómez took the loss.
WELCOME TO THE 336, COLSON
Friday night, Colson Montgomery made his Winston-Salem Dash debut, and he made the most of it. After lining out in his first at-bat, Montgomery launched a solo home run to right field to start off the bottom of the fourth for Winston-Salem and tie the game at one. He would finish his debut by going 2-for-4, helping guide the team to a 2–1 win. With the home run, Montgomery extended his on-base streak to 33 games.
DUKE DIGGIN’
Duke Ellis has been consistent all year in showing off his contact and speed. On the basepaths, Ellis has been a terror, as he’s third place in the South Atlantic League in runs with 46 and tied for second in stolen bases with 26. Meanwhile, from the batter’s box, he’s got on base reliably as he’s tenth place in batting average in the league with a .297 average.
WINSTON TOWER POWER
Luis Mieses and Bryan Ramos have been two of the most effective hitters in the South Atlantic League when playing at home. Mieses is tied for the league lead in RBIs with 29 while Ramos is tied for fourth with 27. Ramos has also hit the ball out of Truist Stadium six times this year, tied for the ninth-best mark in the league.
HOME COOKING
In their last 16 games at home, the Dash have been dominant, going 11–5. Winston-Salem took five out of the six games against Greenville before narrowly winning their series, four games to two, against their I-40 rivals, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. So far through four games against Hudson Valley, the Dash have split the series. With two more games to be played against the Renegades, they can improve that home record to as good as 13–5.
THOMPSON TAKES THE MOUND
Matthew Thompson will take the mound for the Dash on Saturday. In his last two outings at home, Thompson has been near perfect. In 11.2 innings, he’s allowed just three hits while striking out 10 batters, walking just four.
First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m.
