Wilmington Blue Rocks, Hometown Boy Greg Holland Defeat the Winston-Salem Warthogs 11-3

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – Winston-Salem, NC – Playing just 90 minutes away from his hometown, Blue Rocks starter Greg Holland excelled in his homecoming performance by striking out a career-best 10 batters over a career-high 6.2 innings in an 11-3 rout of the Winston-Salem Warthogs at Ernie Shore Field on Friday night.  Anthony Seratelli homered, his second of the season, and the Rocks (12-15) ripped a season-best 15 hits en route to their highest-scoring output of 2008, and most lopsided win.  A convincing victory that evens the four-game set at a game apiece. 

Wilmington never trailed on the night, jumping out to a 3-0 lead.  The Warthogs notched a couple of runs against Holland in the third inning to draw within a single score, but a four-run fifth knocked the ‘Hogs out of hailing distance and the blowout was on.  In total, the Blue Rocks scored runs in five straight innings from the fourth through the eighth. 

Holland (2-1) allowed three runs on five hits while striking out 10 and walking just one.  The hard-throwing righty has 36 strikeouts in 23.1 innings this season, averaging 14 K / 9.0 IP.  Nine of his 10 strikeouts came swinging. 

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Offensively, eight of the nine Blue Rocks notched hits on the night, including five Rocks with multi-hit efforts.  Five of Wilmington’s 15 hits went for extra bases, and the speedy squad notched another six stolen bases in six tries, increasing its league-high total to 69 steals in 27 games.  The Blue Crew is on pace to swipe 358 steals this season, which would dust both the franchise (171, 1998) and Carolina League (293, 1980) records. 

Among the notable individual efforts, catcher Matt Morizio went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a walk, three runs scored and three stolen bases.  First baseman David Wood enjoyed a     3-for-5 effort that included a two-run double, Seratelli went 2-for-5 including his homer and third baseman Josh Johnson went 2-for-3 with two walks, a two-run double and two runs scored. 

Aaron Hartsock tossed 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and a walk.  Winston-Salem used five total pitchers on the night, including starter Jacob Rasner (2-2) who suffered his second loss in as many starts, both to the Blue Rocks. 

Rasner was notably rattled by the Blue Rocks baserunning prowess, receiving numerous visits from his catcher and throwing to occupied bases frequently.  He allowed just three runs (two earned) over his four innings, despite allowing six hits and five walks with no strikeouts.  A pair of relievers, Noe Rodriguez and Matt Davis, each allowed four runs over a combined three innings. 

The Blue Rocks and Warthogs meet again at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night.  Southpaw Everett Teaford (2-0, 1.16) hurls for Wilmington against bullpen right-hander Matt Long (1-2, 4.38), making his first start of 2008. 

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Blue Rocks speed on the bases prompted a pair of balks called on Warthogs pitchers. 

Aaron Hartsock stranded an inherited runner in the seventh inning.  Excluding the single pitching effort of position player Wilver Perez, the true bullpen has allowed just three of 28 (.107) inherited runners to score this season. 

The Blue Rocks lead all of minor league baseball in stolen bases.  The closest competitor to the stolen base crown is Low-A Columbus of the South Atlantic League.  The Catfish, a Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, have 59 steals in 28 games. 

With a game time of 3:17, Friday’s contest tied for the longest nine-inning Blue Rocks game this season.  Wilmington’s 7-5 loss to Kinston at Frawley Stadium on April 14 also took exactly 197 minutes to complete. 

After going more than year between double-digit strikeout performances, Blue Rocks staffers have turned the trick twice in three days.  Blake Wood whiffed a career-best 10 batters himself in Wednesday’s win over the Frederick Keys.

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