STAFF REPORTS
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Hunter Jones hit a walk-off double in the 10th inning and the Syracuse Chiefs beat the Rochester Red Wings 4-3 in the series opener Friday night at NBT Bank Stadium.
The Red Wings (7-10) fall to 0-4 against the Chiefs (12-7) this season.
Syracuse struck early against Fernando Romero in the first inning. Alejandro De Aza‘s RBI single made it 1-0 but that’s all the Chiefs would get despite Romero throwing 35 pitches. Former Wing Matt Hague made it 2-0 with an RBI single in the 3rd.
Rochester recorded just one hit through the first four innings against Edwin Jackson before Brock Stassi blooped a double to left. Willians Astudillo drove him in with his first triple since 2014 to make it 2-1. Astudillo scored on a Taylor Featherston sacrifice fly to tie the game 2-2.
Matt Reynolds sent the second pitch of the bottom half of the 5th out for a solo home run as the Chiefs regained the lead, 3-2.
The Red Wings loaded the bases in the 6th and Stassi drew the game even again with a fielder’s choice to score Leonardo Reginatto.
Alan Busenitz took over on the mound in the 6th. Romero allowed three runs on six hits including a home run and three walks with three strikeouts over 5.0 innings.
Syracuse loaded the bases with nobody out in the 7th against Casey Crosby but the southpaw induced a 5-2-3 double play before John Curtiss struck out the final batter to end the threat.
Astudillo started the 9th with a hustle double to left but he was left stranded at second base. Curtiss fired a scoreless bottom half to send the game to extras.
The Wings did not budge the automatic baserunner in the 10th against John Simms and Tim Collins (1-1). D.J. Baxendale (0-1) issued an intentional walk in the bottom half and made a nice play on a sacrifice bunt attempt to nail the automatic runner at third base before Jones’ double ended the game.
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