Winston-Salem 7, Myrtle Beach 2

W: Zach Thompson (1-0)
L: Zach Hedges (7-8)
S: None

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (July 17, 2016) – Behind first-rounder Zack Collins’ three-run home run and a strong performance from Dash starter Zach Thompson, Winston-Salem cruised past Myrtle Beach 7-2 on Sunday at BB&T Ballpark.
With runners on first and third and one out, Collins smacked a three-run blast to left-center against Zach Hedges (7-8) to put Winston-Salem up 3-0. The backstop finished the contest 1-for-2 with two free passes. In three games with the Dash, the 10th overall pick in last month’s MLB Draft is 5-for-12 with two homers, eight RBIs and four walks.
In just his second start at the High-A level, Thompson (1-0) spun 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and two runs (one earned) to pick up his first win with Winston-Salem. The right-hander also walked two and struck out four.
The Dash bullpen shined in Sunday’s contest. Up 3-2 in the sixth, with runners on first and second and two outs, Thompson gave way to Drew Hasler, and the reliever struck out Rashad Crawford to end the threat. Hasler finished his outing tossing 2.1 hitless innings of middle relief, while Yelmison Peralta threw a scoreless ninth inning to seal the victory.
With the win, Winston-Salem (11-12, 39-54) improves to 15-9 at BB&T Ballpark since the start of June.
A night after setting a season-high in hits, Winston-Salem had 12 knocks in Sunday’s affair. Designated hitter Marcus Davis went 3-for-4 with an RBI, upping his post All-Star break average to .368, while Mason Robbins went 2-for-4, culminating in his team-leading 30th multi-hit game.
Down 3-0 in the fifth, the Pelicans (12-12, 48-46) finally did some damage against Thompson. Andrew Ely stroked a leadoff home run to right, his first of the season with Myrtle Beach, to cut the deficit to 3-1. Later in the inning, David Bote lined an RBI single to center make it a 3-2 ballgame.
But, the Dash soon put the game out of reach. In the sixth, a Cleuluis Rondon sacrifice fly and a Michael Suiter RBI double against Hedges put the Dash up 5-2. The Pelicans righty ended up losing his fourth straight outing against Winston-Salem, tossing six innings and allowing eight hits and five runs (three earned).
The Dash capped the scoring in the seventh against Craig Brooks. Winston-Salem quickly loaded the bases and, with no outs, Telvin Nash hit a sacrifice fly to right that gave the Dash a four-run lead. Davis provided the final blow with an RBI single to left.
Winston-Salem continues its four-game series against Myrtle Beach on Monday at 7 p.m. The Dash send lefty Tanner Banks (4-1, 4.72 ERA) to the bump against Pelicans right-hander Jonathan Martinez (6-5, 4.18 ERA). The Pregame Dash begins at 6:45 p.m., and fans can tune in on wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv and the TuneIn Radio App.

For tickets to the final two games of the homestand, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.