· By Whitney Hunt
Dirty Birds Outslug Legends in Back-and-Forth Battle
The Charleston Dirty Birds picked up a thrilling 9–8 victory over the Lexington Legends on Tuesday night, riding multiple long balls and solid work from the pen.
Top Performers:
Charleston:
- Joseph Rosa (SS): 2-for-5, HR (9), 4 RBIs
- Chad Sedio (1B): 3-for-5, HR (11), RBI, 2 R
- Benjamin Blackwell (3B): 1-for-4, HR (1), BB, 2 R, RBI
- Zach Daniels (CF): 2-for-4, RBI, R
- Alsander Womack (2B): 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI
Lexington:
- Pedro Gonzalez (LF): 2-for-5, HR (8), 2 RBIs
- Xane Washington (CF): 2-for-5, RBI, R
- Curtis Terry (1B): 1-for-4, RBI, BB, R
Charleston scored in each of the first three innings, highlighted by solo homers from Blackwell and Womack. Lexington countered with four runs across the 2nd–4th innings to take a 6–5 lead. That advantage was short-lived.
In the 5th, Charleston erupted for three more runs—Joseph Rosa delivered the knockout blow with a 3-run homer, pushing the Dirty Birds ahead 8–6.
Despite Lexington threatening late, Charleston's bullpen held firm. Edison Suriel (W, 1-2) weathered some traffic in the 5th and 6th, and Ronaldo Alesandro (S, 2) sealed the game in the 9th despite allowing a run.
By the Numbers:
- Charleston Homers: 4 (Rosa, Sedio, Blackwell, Womack)
- Charleston Strikeouts: 10 batters fanned at the plate, but 9 Lexington hitters struck out as well
- Errors: 1 each, with Charleston's by catcher Soto and Lexington’s from Rock in right
- LOB: Lexington 11, Charleston 7