Record
2-3 (September 4-8)
60-72 (overall)
29-37 (second half)

The Dash got off to a great start in their last series of the season, taking the first two games behind fantastic pitching performances. However, they let the last three slip away to Greenville (63-69), thus Winston-Salem finished the season 12 games below .500. The Dash did not make the playoffs, so this was their final action of the year.

September 4: Winston-Salem Dash 1, Greenville Drive 0
The Dash put a run on the board in the top of the first, and that was the only run they scored all game. However, incredibly, that run was all Winston-Salem needed to come away with the victory. With two outs and nobody on in the first, Caden Connor doubled, and Casey Saucke picked up a timely single to drive in the game’s first and last run. Lucas Gordon delivered five shutout innings, only allowing one hit along the way. The bullpen added four shutout innings to seal the low-scoring victory. Reliever Nick Altermatt, who has been very reliable lately, picked up the save by allowing zero runs on one hit in 1 1/3 innings. Altermatt also collected three strikeouts during his brief outing.

GAME MVPs
Lucas Gordon (LHSP) 5 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Casey Saucke (RF) 2-for-4, RBI
Nick Altermatt (RHRP) 1 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K

September 5: Winston-Salem Dash 4, Greenville Drive 3
The Dash rallied against Greenville’s bullpen to come away with another razor-thin victory. In the second, W-S scored the first run of the game. Calvin Harris hit a one-out single, Ryan Galanie walked, and with two outs Bryce Willits had an infield single. Greenville’s pitcher made a throwing error, allowing Harris to score. However, the Greenville was not behind for long, as the Drive scored twice against Dash starter Jake Bockenstedt (4 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K) in the second. Greenville added one more off Bockenstedt in the third, and the score remained 3-1 until the seventh.

Jordan Sprinkle started Winston-Salem’s rally with a single in the seventh, and after a double by Connor, the Dash had two in scoring position. From there, Saucke delivered a clutch double to tie the game at three. Saucke picked up where he left off in the ninth, hitting a single to set the table. Galanie drew a walk, and with two outs, Miguel Santos singled up the middle to drive in the go-ahead run. After a save by Tyler Davis, the Dash prevailed.

GAME MVPs
Casey Saucke (RF) 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Miguel Santos (2B) 2-for-5, RBI

September 6: Greenville Drive 6, Winston-Salem Dash 5
In a game filled with back-and-forth moments, this one slipped away from Winston-Salem in the bottom of the ninth. Wes Kath launched a two-run homer in the top of the second to give the Dash an early lead. Meanwhile, Dash starter Seth Keener had an easy first inning, but he allowed one in the second and one in the third, so the game was tied after three. In the fourth, Ryan Galanie and Colby Smelley each drew a walk to set the table for Samuel Zavala, who stepped up to the plate with two outs. Zavala hit a sharp double to left to drive in both of them and put the Dash ahead, 4-2.

Dash relievers Patrick Maybach and Tommy Vail each pitched two innings and allowed one run apiece. The Dash offense got cold for a bit after Zavala’s double, so heading into the ninth the game was tied at four. With one out in the ninth, Santos singled to set the table for Zavala, who crushed another double to give Winston-Salem the lead once again. The Dash were in position for another exciting victory, but it was not meant to be. Reliever Jarold Rosado, who has had a strong track record with the Dash, did not have it on Friday. Rosado allowed two runs on three hits to take the blown save and the loss.

GAME MVP
Samuel Zavala (LF) 2-for-3, 2 2B, BB, 3 RBI

September 7: Greenville Drive 7, Winston-Salem Dash 4
The Drive gave themselves a sizable cushion early on and held on despite a decent rally by the Dash. First round pick Hagen Smith and José Ramírez did not have their best stuff, combining to allow seven runs (six earned) in five innings. Wes Kath drove in a pair with a two-run double in the fourth, but despite that, the Dash trailed by a score of 7-2 after four. Caden Connor reached on an error in the sixth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Galanie. In the seventh, Calvin Harris led off with a double, and Zavala drove him in with a single. However, that was the last time Winston-Salem scored, so the rally fell short.

GAME MVPs
Samuel Zavala (CF) 1-for-2, 2 BB, RBI
Connor Housley (RHRP) 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K

September 8: Greenville Drive 5, Winston-Salem Dash 4
In a close matchup, the Dash dropped the final game of the season after an eighth inning home run by Greenville. Caden Connor opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the top of the first. That was Connor’s third homer with Winston-Salem and seventh overall this season. That lead did not last long, however, as the Drive got both of those runs back in the bottom of the first. The score remained 2-2 until the fifth, when Miguel Santos launched a home run, and Casey Saucke hit an RBI single to put Winston-Salem ahead by two. Once again, the Drive did not trail for long. A two-run triple by Nelly Taylor in the sixth resulted in the game being tied once again. Finally, the decisive run came in the bottom of the eighth, when Bryan González homered to give Greenville a lead that did not relinquish.

GAME MVPs
Caden Connor (LF) 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Miguel Santos (2B) 2-for-4, HR
Luke Bell (RHRP) 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K

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Seth Keener photo: Winston-Salem Dash