LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Down to its final strike and forced to try to mount a rally in a game it had once led by eight runs, ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä obliged.
Jaylen Smith supplied a bases-loaded single to knock in Alsander Womack and Joseph Rosa – his fifth and sixth RBIs of the night – to lift the Dirty Birds over rival Lexington 11-10 in an Atlantic League series opener at Legends Field on Tuesday night.
It was a wild game that included a cycle for Lexington’s Andy Atwood, two ejections and seven round-trippers, in addition to the 21 runs, the Legends’ comeback from eight runs down through two and a half innings to lead 10-9 and ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s counter with Smith facing two outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth.
Lexington’s Curtis Terry singled with one out in the home half of the ninth to get the tying run aboard, but he was erased at second in a fielder’s choice and Dirty Birds reliever Lance Lusk fanned Lexington leadoff hitter Xane Washington to preserve the save.
Rosa and Smith each had three hits for ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä (21-28 second half, 51-61 overall). James Nelson and Womack added two apiece. Rosa knocked in two runs to back Smith’s six.
Rosa scored three runs and Nelson and Womack tallied two apiece. Nelson, Rosa, Smith and Alan Alonso each homered for the Dirty Birds.
