By Dominic Cotroneo / Down East Wood Ducks

WINSTON-SALEM - Josh Altmann connected on his team-leading 15th homer of the season, but ended the night on the mound as the Wood Ducks (6-8 second half, 41-43 overall) fell 14-5 to the Dash (9-4, 50-33). Starting in the fifth inning, Winston-Salem scored the final 14 runs unanswered in the contest.

Earlier in the game, the Woodies opened the scoring with the first inside-the-park homer by a DEWD. Andretty Cordero lined a shot to right field that hit the short wall and stayed in the yard. Right-fielder Blake Rutherford tumbled over the short fence and left with an injury while Cordero raced around the bases uncontested.

In the third, Chuck Leblanc added an RBI single to right field to push the lead to 2-0 to support Walker Weickel. The starter had a no-decision and worked into the sixth inning with three strikeouts. 

The top of the fifth was the big inning for the DEWDs as Altmann led off the frame with a solo homer to left. It was the fifth career home run he's hit at BB&T Ballpark - the most he's hit at any road ballpark in the Carolina League.

Leblanc added a sac fly to right-center and Brendon Davis lined a single for another RBI and the Woodies held a 5-0 lead.

The Dash caught fire with two runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to take the lead. Still just a one-run lead, though, they would put the game away with a seven-run seventh inning. Altmann was called to pitch the eighth and allowed a run, but recorded his first strikeout as a pitcher in two seasons with the Woodies as the emergency pitcher. 

Game 2 of the series is Thursday night at 7 p.m. with lefty Yohander Mendez on the mound for the DEWDs as he will face Blake Battenfield.