Alex Blandino had two hits, including a three-run home run Wednesday as the Red Sox beat Hyannis 9-7.
By: Andrew Constant / @andrew_constant
On our nation?s 236th birthday, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (9-8) came back from 7-4 down to stun the Hyannis Harbor Hawks (4-13) 9-7 at Red Wilson Field. The Red Sox were able to exact a little revenge after Hyannis stormed back from six down Tuesday evening.
Carlos Asuaje gave Y-D the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning after Wayne Taylor and Tanner Mathis singled with one out to put runners on the corners. One batter later, Robert Pehl added on an insurance run, knocking in Mathis and stretching the lead to two.
Brian Gilbert picked up the win for the Red Sox after setting down the Harbor Hawks in order in his only inning of work in the eighth. Bryan Verbitsky earned the save with a perfect ninth.
The Harbor Hawks looked like they?d sweep the home-and-home series from Y-D when Brandon Trinkwon, Tuesday night?s hero, crushed a three-run home run to right in the second inning off Red Sox? starter Ben Lively. Hyannis added on two runs in the top of the third, chasing Lively, who only managed to get eight outs.
But in the bottom of the third, Y-D began their comeback. With two out and runners on the corners, Alex Blandino smashed his third home run of the summer, well over the left-center field wall, cutting the lead to 5-4. Blandino, who earned Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball at Stanford this spring, came into action with a .364 average and 12 RBI, while playing solid defense at shortstop.
Hyannis tacked on two more runs in the fourth, widening their lead to three, thanks to a two-RBI single by Will Callaway, but that?d be all the Harbor Hawks would get. Rick Knapp, Preston Hatcher, Gilbert and Verbitsky only allowed two hits the rest of the way, keeping the Red Sox in the game and giving them a chance to complete their comeback.
In the sixth, Blandino led of and was hit by a pitch from Hyannis reliever Gage Smith. Two pitches later, Zak Blair singled to center, starting a potential rally for Y-D. Sean Dwyer struck out, but Josh Tobias picked his teammate up, sending a ringing single to right. It seemed harmless on contact, but Hyannis right fielder Jeff Schalk misplayed the bounce and the ball went all the way to the fence, allowing Blandino and Blair to score easily.
Blair tied the score in the following inning, knocking in Pehl from second before Asuaje?s winning sac fly in the eighth.
The Red Sox are back in action Thursday night when they make their first trip off-Cape to battle the Wareham Gatemen at 7 p.m. Y-D hammered Wareham 12-1 in their first meeting of the season on June 23.
