Sun Is Star Of Star’s
The North Division defeated the South, 13-4, on Tuesday night before a crowd of 8,367 in a wild contest that featured four home runs and 27 hits.
Hagerstown Suns first baseman Bill Rhinehart was named the Star of Stars after going 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs.
“I just wanted to come out and have a good time and just enjoy this whole experience,” Rhinehart said. “Whatever happens, happens.”
Lakewood BlueClaws right-hander Drew Naylor was named the Pitcher of the Game after throwing a perfect sixth inning for the North.
The North Stars had 18 hits, and Rhinehart got them off to a flying start in the first inning. With Hickory’s Jose De Los Santos in scoring position, the former 11th-round draft pick cracked a two-run homer to right field off South starter Jhoulys Chacin of the Asheville Tourists.
“I just tried to put a good swing on it and it went over the fence,” Rhinehart said.
The South rallied to tie, using a long leadoff homer by Rome Braves right fielder Jason Heyward in the second and a two-out RBI single by Greenville Drive first baseman Mike Jones in the third. Heyward’s blast was exactly that as it cleared the scoreboard in right-center field.
But Rhinehart was at the center of another rally in the third, stroking a single to center field that scored Zelous Wheeler of the West Virginia Power and put the North back on top. Two batters later, a groundout by Rhinehart’s Hagerstown teammate, Michael Burgess, plated the fourth North run.
The North busted the game open an inning later, teeing off on Henry Mabee. The Kannapolis Intimidators right-hander gave up five consecutive hits but allowed only two runs with the help of a baserunning blunder by Wheeler. Lexington’s Matthew Cusick drove in West Virginia’s Lee Haydel with a single to left before scoring on a double to left field by Michael Taylor of the Lakewood Blue Claws.
After an RBI double by Asheville’s Darin Holcomb in the top of the fifth cut the South deficit to 6-3, the North responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Michael Durant of the BlueClaws singled to center and scored on a double play by Hickory’s Bobby Spain. With two outs and nobody on, Haydel reached on an error by Greenville shortstop Yamaico Navarro. Wheeler made Navarro pay and atoned for his earlier baserunning miscue with one swing, blasting a homer to right field to make it 9-3.
An RBI single by Rome’s Freddie Freeman in the top of the seventh made it a five-run game, but the North again answered in the bottom of the frame. With runners on first and second and Augusta’s Daniel Otero on the mound, Lake County’s Roman Pena crushed a ball over the head of center fielder Abraham Almonte for a two-run triple.
The two earned runs off Otero were more than the right-handed reliever had allowed all season for the GreenJackets.
Durant capped the scoring with a long two-run homer to left-center field in the eighth off Asheville’s Randall Taylor.