BUIES CREEK, N.C. (April 6, 2017) – Tanner Banks and Zack Collins delivered strong performances, but a four-run seventh inning propelled Buies Creek past Winston-Salem 5-3 in Thursday’s season opener at Jim Perry Stadium.
Collins went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Banks worked six strong innings in his first career Opening Day start. Once Banks exited the game, the Astros (1-0) surged ahead, with a fluke double sparking the rally.
Left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer (0-1) induced a lazy pop up to shallow center by Pat Porter, the first hitter of the seventh. However, the strong winds that whipped throughout the game pushed the ball past several Dash defenders. This wind-aided double was one of four hits in the inning.
Christian Correa immediately followed with an RBI single, while Myles Straw added a two-run double that proved to be the difference. Kyle Tucker’s RBI single capped Buies Creek’s big seventh.
The Dash (0-1) staged a comeback effort in the eighth as Collins started the inning with a double. Aaron Schnurbuschsingled him over to third before Louis Silverio mustered his second RBI of the contest with a single. With two down, Danny Mendick blooped a run-scoring double down the left field line to pull Winston-Salem within a pair. However, Ronald Buenoflied out to fairly deep left to end the threat.
In the ninth, Riley Ferrell made quick work of the top three in the Dash’s order to lock down the save, giving Buies Creek a victory in the franchise’s first game.
Before the Astros’ seventh-inning surge, Banks dazzled en route to a quality start. The southpaw retired the first six he faced before surrendering his only run on a Straw sacrifice fly in the third.
Starter Akeem Bostick was stellar in his Buies Creek debut, allowing just two hits across five innings while fanning three and walking two. Elieser Hernandez (1-0) nabbed the victory with 2.1 innings of relief, though he did permit three runs.
Dash reliever Ian Hamilton provided a solid 1.2 innings in his High-A debut, giving up one hit and setting down two.
Winston-Salem and Buies Creek continue their series on Friday at 7 p.m. with the second of their four-game set. Right-handerZach Thompson takes the ball against southpaw Alex Winkelman. Pregame coverage begins at 6:45 p.m., and fans can hear all the action on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio App.
The Dash’s 2017 opening homestand begins next Thursday, April 13, with a seven-game stretch that features a different promotion each night. For tickets to Opening Weekend at BB&T Ballpark or any of the Dash’s 71 home games, call (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com
