Lex Legends
Anderson Franco hit a three-run inside-the-park home run to give Hagerstown the lead in the fifth inning, and the Suns went on to an 8-6 win over the Lexington Legends Monday night at Whitaker Bank Ballpark. The teams combined for seven home runs in the game, four by the Legends.
The Legends hit three homers in the second inning. Joe Dudek led off with an opposite-field drive into the left field bleachers for a 1-0 Lexington lead. After Manny Olloque’s single, Meibrys Viloria homered to right, and one out later, Yeison Melo’s line drive cleared the wall in left center, giving the Legends a 4-0 margin.
Aldrem Corredor’s two-run double put Hagerstown on the board in the third, but Angelo Castellano’s solo homer in the bottom of the third restored the Legends’ three-run lead at 5-2.
The Suns joined the longball parade in the fourth when Jake Noll led off with a home run.
Blake Perkins and Corredor started the fifth inning with singles. Daniel Johnson was called out on strikes, but Jake Noll was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Perkins scored on a wild pitch. After Nick Banks popped out, Franco hit a line drive to center field, where the ball got by Khalil Lee when he attempted a short-hop pickup. Franco circled the bases with a three-run homer, and the Suns led 7-5.
The Legends moved to within a run in the bottom of the fifth on three walks and a sacrifice fly by Olloque. The score remained 7-6 until Tres Barrera’s solo homer in the top of the eighth accounted for the final run.
Hagerstown reliever A.J. Bogucki (2-1), who entered the game in the bottom of the fifth and allowed one hit and no runs over two and one-third innings, got the win. Tommy Peterson got the last four outs for his ninth save of the season.
Legends’ starter Garrett Davila (6-5) was the losing pitcher.
Hagerstown won two out of three in the series.
The Legends have an off day Tuesday, and will open a three-game series against Columbia with an afternoon game Wednesday at Whitaker Bank Ballpark. First pitch is set for 12:35 p.m.