Record
1-5 (August 21-27)
55-66 (overall)
24-31 (second half)

The Dash continued their skid this week, dropping five of their six games and only averaging 3.5 runs per game (sadly, the White Sox would happily accept 3.5 runs per game). On the bright side, the Dash had several strong pitching performances throughout the week, and a few hitters took encouraging steps.

August 21: Aberdeen IronBirds 5, Winston-Salem Dash 0
Surprisingly, the Dash had more hits (7) than the IronBirds (6), but despite that, they lost handily. Winston-Salem finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Dash starter Lucas Gordon allowed two runs in four innings, and both of those runs scored in the first inning, so Aberdeen led from the very beginning. Other than the rough first inning, Gordon was very effective, but he had no margin for error. Caden Connor had the only multi-hit game for the Dash, while Jordan Sprinkle doubled and Calvin Harris tripled. However, both were left stranded.

GAME MVPs
Caden Connor (DH) 2-for-4
Calvin Harris (C) 1-for-4, 3B
Jordan Sprinkle (SS) 1-for-3, 2B

August 22: Aberdeen IronBirds 9, Winston-Salem Dash 4

The IronBirds scored seven runs in the first inning, so the outcome of this game was never in question. The Dash put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the first when Jordan Sprinkle singled, and he stole second. An infield single by Caden Connor, followed by a throwing error, allowed Sprinkle to race home. However, despite the early excitement, Dash starter Jake Bockenstedt had a day he would like to forget. Bockenstedt allowed six runs and only recorded one out, so it was smooth sailing throughout this game for Aberdeen, who did not need to score again. The Dash scored on a ground out by Colby Smelley and bases-loaded walks by Smelley and Ryan Galanie. However, that was not nearly enough to pull off the comeback.

GAME MVPs
William Bergolla (SS) 3-for-5, BB
Tyler Davis (RHRP) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Colby Smelley (C) 2-for-4, BB, 2 RBI

August 23: Winston-Salem Dash 8, Aberdeen IronBirds 0

For a change of pace, the Dash fired on all cylinders for a lopsided victory over Aberdeen. Dash starter José Ramírez pitched four shutout innings, so he certainly deserves credit. So does the bullpen, especially Nick Altermatt, who pitched two perfect innings, collecting four strikeouts along the way. Due to Winston-Salem’s offense, though, the pitching staff did not even need to be anywhere close to that effective. Casey Saucke launched a solo homer to open the scoring in the top of the second, and the Dash led from that point forward. The Dash broke the game open on doubles by Wes Kath and Calvin Harris in the third, and after those hits, Winston-Salem had a 4-0 lead. William Bergolla added two more with a triple in the fourth. A wild pitch in the sixth made it 7-0, and Rikuu Nishida, who had three hits, had an RBI single in the seventh.

GAME MVPs
Rikuu Nishida (2B) 3-for-5, BB, RBI
Casey Saucke (LF) 2-for-5, HR
William Bergolla (SS) 2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI
José Ramírez (RHSP) 4 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Nick Altermatt (RHRP) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K

August 24: Aberdeen IronBirds 2, Winston-Salem Dash 1 (10 innings)
Winston-Salem’s pitching staff was on top of its game, but it could not overcome the offensive woes, so the IronBirds came out on top in this low-scoring game. The Dash scored in the third when Eddie Park and Samuel Zavala hit back-to-back singles to open the inning. A wild pitch allowed Park to score, and it was 1-0. However, that was the first and last time the Dash scored, and despite a strong all-around performance, the Dash could not preserve the 1-0 lead. Hagen Smith, the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, made his Dash debut with four strikeouts in three shutout innings. However, reliever Billy Seidl allowed an RBI single to tie the game in the fourth, and Bryce Willits (yes, the infielder) failed to strand the free runner in the 10th inning, so Aberdeen walked it off.

GAME MVPs
William Bergolla (SS) 1-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI
Zach Franklin (RHRP) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Bryce Willits (DH) 1-for-2, 2 BB, RBI

August 25: Aberdeen IronBirds 7, Winston-Salem Dash 6 (11 innings)
In another game that went into extras, the Dash came up just short. The teams traded two-run homers in the second inning, with Jordan Sprinkle going deep in the top half and Douglas Hodo III taking Shane Murphy deep in the bottom half. Despite that early mistake, Murphy had a good start for the Dash, lasting five innings and only allowing those two runs. Murphy only needed 74 pitches to make it through those five frames, as he was quite efficient overall. In the sixth, the Dash jumped out in front again when Colby Smelley launched a home run. After Smelley’s blast, Bryce Willits hit his second of two doubles of the day and scored on a balk. The bullpen had to cover four innings without allowing two runs, and this time, it did not get the job done. The game headed into extras, and in the 10th, both teams managed to drive in the free runner but nothing more. In the 11th, the Dash did the same, but the IronBirds walked it off in the bottom half after back-to-back singles.

GAME MVPs
Jordan Sprinkle (SS) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Shane Murphy (LHSP) 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Colby Smelley (C) 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Bryce Willits (RF) 2-for-5, 2 3B

August 27: Brooklyn Cyclones 3, Winston-Salem Dash 2
The Dash had another cold game offensively, and the pitching staff was not quite good enough to overcome it. Aldrin Batista had another high-quality start, only allowing one run on three hits in six innings. The Dash did manage to score one run while Batista was pitching, and that was on a sacrifice fly by Bergolla. It turns out that Dash reliever Tommy Vail is human, after all, as he allowed two runs in one inning of relief. His ERA with Winston-Salem ballooned all the way up to 1.44. Although Caden Connor drew a walk with the bases loaded, the Dash needed another run, and they could not get it.

GAME MVPs
Aldrin Batista (RHSP) 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K
William Bergolla (SS) 1-for-3, BB, RBI
Jarold Rosado (RHRP) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K

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William Bergolla photo: Winston-Salem Dash