Woodies break 11-game losing streak
Steven Bruce pitched seven strong innings to lead the Down East Wood Ducks to an 8-4 victory at Buies Creek Monday afternoon. Photo courtesy Dominic Cotroneo / Down East Wood Ducks
BUIES CREEK – The streak is over!
The Down East Wood Ducks’ 11-game losing streak – the longest in franchise history – ended Monday afternoon with an 8-4 win at Buies Creek.
It’s not a stretch to say the victory, the first for the Woodies since July 10, was a total team effort. All but one player got a hit in the victory and even the one hitless player – third baseman Chuck Leblanc – had an RBI.
The Woodies (10-22 second half, 45-57 overall) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, punctuated by a solo home run by LeDarious Clark, his sixth of the season.
The lead ballooned to 4-0 in the third inning and 8-2 before a ninth-inning rally by the Astros (20-12, 57-44). The Astros had the bases loaded with the tying run at the plate before Jairo Beras closed the door and earned his third save of the season.
Steven Bruce put together an impressive start on the mound for the Woodies, scattering four hits over his seven innings of work. He earned the victory to improve to 4-6 with his tidy 89-pitch effort, which included one strikeout and one walk.
Clark, Yanio Perez, Josh Altmann and Ricky Valencia had a pair of hits each in the Woodies’ 12-hit attack. Clark and Valencia added two RBIs apiece as three other players – Anderson Tejeda, Altmann and Leblanc – had an RBI each.
The Wood Ducks return home Tuesday to begin a six-game homestand; they’ll host Lynchburg Tuesday through Thursday and Frederick Friday through Sunday. There are plenty of promotions for the homestand (first pitch is in parentheses):
· Tuesday (7 p.m.): Taco Tuesday – Tacos are $1 each; there is also a buy-one, get-one free ticket offer courtesy of Food Lion
· Wednesday (12:05 p.m.): Camp Day
· Thursday (7 p.m.): Throwback Thursday – All tickets are $5 and select beer and soft drinks are $1 each
· Friday (7 p.m.): Fireworks Friday – Fireworks show (presented by WNCT CBS-9) five minutes after final pitch
· Saturday (6 p.m.): Camo jersey giveaway – The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a free camouflaged jersey courtesy of Mountain Dew. Gates open at 4 p.m.
· Sunday (2 p.m.): Sunday Funday – Two Wood Ducks players will sign autographs in the concourse from 1:15-1:45 and all children 12-and-under can run the bases following the game, courtesy of Cricket Wireless
For more details on these promotions, visit the team’s website at woodducksbaseball.com.
