The Salem Red Sox opened an 11-3 lead after four innings, then held off a late Winston-Salem rally to defeat the Dash in the team’s home opener at Salem Memorial Stadium Tuesday night.
The win gave Salem its first 5-0 start in team history after a 4-game sweep of Myrtle Beach on the Grand Strand last week. The win also was Salem’s 16th straight, dating back to last year’s Mills Cup championship run, tying the Salem Sox with the 64-year-old record held since 1950 by the then-Winston-Salem Cardinals.
It looked early-on that the 16th win would be a cake walk. Matty Johnson launched a 2-run homer in Salem’s 3-run second inning, Aneury Tavarez sent a 3-run shot out of LewisGale Field in the third and David Chester’s triple ignited a 5-run Salem fourth.
The three hour, 25 minute marathon saw three Salem pitchers strike out 14 Dash batters. Kyle Martin picked up the win in relief of Sox lefty starter Brian Johnson. Tavarez and Jonathan Roof each had three hits for Salem.
– Bill Turner
